Familial Surprise!
by NoxNightKing
Summary: Harry and Hermione find out some things... Which leads to saving a tortured girl and finding out they were lied to. What will they do? Dumbledore Bashing, Ron Bashing, unexpected familial surprises, and a angry Sirius Orion Black. I don't own Harry Potter. Pairings Undecided and up for debate. Not abandoned, Undergoing rewrite.
1. Suspicions

**Here we go I'll start with the fact that I thought this would be a interesting story, so I'll thank you for reading.**

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Suspicions

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 **Third Person POV**

As Harry Potter exited the maze of the Final task Hermione Granger noticed a girl slip from the crowd, looking green, curious she followed.

She snuck behind the girl as she was throwing up on a patch of grass. She quietly walked up and spoke,"You okay?"

The girl spun around and gave Hermione a look of horror before running away, confused she began to follow but stepped on a bit of parchment. Picking it up she saw Dumbledore's slanted writing.

 _Dear Lyra,_

 _I will authorize your request to allow you to see Harry and Kayla at the last task but you are not to be seen by them or anyone else or you will be severely punished, if you are you seen you may find yourself on the wrong side of a cruciatus curse._ _Make sure you return to my office by 12 p.m._

 _Stay out of sight,_

 _Albus Dumbledore_

Hermione ran to find Harry and after an hour of searching found him walking to the common room.

"Harry!" Hermione called.

"What is it Hermione?" He asked.

"Follow me." She said.

"Why?" He asked.

"I'll explain on the way." She said.

As she explained Harry grew more and more surprised. she shushed him when they arrived at the headmaster's office.

"Were you seen Lyra?" Dumbledore asked.

"No sir."She said quietly.

"Don't lie to me" He said and a small _zap!_ was heard.

"Yes sir, I was found by Kayla, she found me while I was emptying my stomach from seeing the body of Cedric Diggory." She said.

"I thought it was you that found her." Harry said.

"I must look like this girl, now shhh." Hermione shot back.

"Ah, yes, you were found, do you remember what I warned you not to do?" He growled.

"Be seen." She yelped as another _zap!_ sounded.

"Exactly, now for your punishment Crucio." He said and the girl wailed in agony.

"All my work with Harry bribing Ronald into being his friend offering him the girl, offering a powerful husband to the Weasley girl, and even keeping Harry from Gringotts will all be undone because of your failure to meet my demands." He said angrily.

"Albus, stop this." One of the portraits said.

"Fine Phineas." Dumbledore complied.

"Off to your room." He ordered and the sound of a door closing told them they had heard enough and the two blinked when they heard footsteps coming toward them, they stepped into the corner and the door opened and Dumbledore stuck his head out.

"I could have sworn I sensed two students." He said.

"Whatever, I have a meeting with Severus to work through." He said walking downstairs.

"Children in here." The voice of the portrait said.

They walked in to see it was a clever looking wizard, with black hair, dark eyes, a pointed beard and thin eyebrows. He was depicted posthumously in his portrait as wearing the green and silver colors associated with Slytherin House.

"I've hidden you from Albus' sight walk over to the Library and pull the Muggle child story book." He ordered.

They did so and the bookshelf disappeared to reveal a door.

"She's on there, girl get her, Mister Potter grab the Sorting hat and think of the name Regulus Black and the phrase wand of his offspring." He ordered they did so and Harry pulled out a black wand that seemed to pulse with magical energy in the direction of the door.

"Good, good, hide the wand in your trunk get her out of here." He ordered as Hermione came out holding the girl she described up, the girl who with her arm around Hermione's shoulder limped with her.

"Okay, girl when you get to your common room point your wand at her and shrink her, don't enlarge her until you are on the Hogwarts Express, she will heal faster as well as that Weasley boy knows who she is, hurry Albus will be back, I'll send you as far as I can manage." He said.

Suddenly they found themselves in a broom cupboard, they snuck to the common room and Hermione did as she was told, hiding the girl behind her.

"Hermione, I've been worried sick, you can't disappear like that and why is Harry with you, trying to steal her too Harry?" He asked.

"I've already told you I did not want to enter the tournament you got over that and how can I steal Hermione if she isn't yours, I'm tired of your jealousy, sometimes I think you just became my friend for some kind of stupid fame, our friendship is over." Harry glared.

"Hermione?" Ron asked.

"I have to agree, you don't seem to care that much about me except as a possession, I think it benefits me to end our friendship as well." She said.

With that they ascended the stairs both knowing that they were messing with Albus Dumbledore's plans.

 **The Next Day**

The two smiled as they sat safely in their compartment, Hermione returned the girl to her correct sized, as she slept the two safely conversed.

"Harry, I've been thinking, I don't think she meant someone else, my parents, well I wrote them a letter a few days ago and I received this today." Harry looked at the paper Hermione held up.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _We are sorry to inform you you must have us confused with someone else, If so then you must have sent this bird to the wrong address. Thank you_

 _Helen Granger._

"But?" Harry said.

"Yes, I was confused as well but, she," She pointed at the girl."Showed me this." She said holding out a potions book which revealed a potion called the Familial Fictus Potion, "This potion has limited effects except when keyed to a certain person the drinker thinks he or she is their child."

"So, this was used on them?" Harry asked

"Yes." Hermione said.

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 **I hope you liked it follows and favorites loved and reviews would appreciated and ideas and ideas are helpful.**


	2. Revelations

**Okay before we begin review replies.**

 **desireejones99** _-Intriguing story, looking forward to updates_

 **They will come, I really want to continue this.**

 **Fiordineve -** _It's promising and I'm interested in seeing how it unfolds! But I'm hoping that angry Sirius means also proactive Sirius since he's my favorite character ;)_

 **Oh, Sirius, Regulus, Remus, Snape, and Tonks are characters who I chose as characters who will be the most proactive besides Harry, Hermione(or as she will soon be known Kayla), and Lyra.**

 **Rosalie end jacob** _\- excelente historia_

 **Thanks for the support(that goes for you two as well.) Now without further adeu, the story continues.**

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Revelations

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 **Third Person POV**

Hermione blinked when suddenly she was caught in a hug. Harry jumped back but relaxed when he saw it was the girl.

"She keeps doing that but hasn't said a word." Hermione explained.

"Well, okay, hi, I'm Harry Potter and you are?" Harry asked.

She shrunk behind Hermione staring warily at his scar.

"What's wrong with the scar?" He asked.

She mouthed two words which Harry just barely caught, _Dark magic_.

"Dark Magic?" Harry asked. She nodded, hugging Hermione a bit tighter.

"What is it? Tell us please, Lyra?" Hermione asked.

"Papa called them Horcruxes." She said her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Horcrux?" Harry asked.

"I can't say anymore Daddy said never to speak of it." She said.

The two tried to get more out of her but she stayed silent, all they managed to get from her was "Goblins know".

After receiving a visit from Ron and telling him he wasn't welcome they arrived at Platform 9¾.

They walked up to the awaiting Remus Lupin and a pink haired witch.

"Harry, Hermione, I'd like you you to meet Nymphadora Tonks, though she prefers to go by her last name." He said.

"Who's that with you two?" Tonks asked.

"This is Lyra, we don't know her last name yet but she knows something that we want to know, though all we can get out of her is "Goblins know"." Hermione explained.

"Hmm, Gringotts then?" Remus asked looking at Lyra.

She nodded.

Remus grabbed Harry and Hermione's shoulders and Tonks did the same to Lyra and with a pop, they appeared in front of Gringotts.

"In we go." Remus said ushering the three inside.

When they entered Lyra tugged at Remus' shirt.

"Yes, Lyra?" He asked.

She made a '1 moment' gesture and walked up to the nearest goblin, he looked up and she made several hand gestures. He nodded and disappeared to reappear with a different goblin.

"Well Miss, you're here for three inheritance tests, would you kindly follow me?" He asked.

Lyra looked at Remus and he nodded.

The group followed the goblin into his office.

"Welcome, I am Ragnok, Head of Gringotts, now I was told that you wanted three inheritance tests?" He said.

Lyra pushed Harry forward.

"Harry Potter, we've been waiting for you to come here, let's begin with these blood inheritance tests." He said.

He brought out a silver dagger.

"Give your finger a prick and let three drops hit the paper." He ordered.

He looked at Lyra who nodded and did so.

 _Name: Harry James Potter_

 _Age: 14_

 _Father: James Charles Potter (deceased, Pureblood)_

 _Mother: Lilly Anne Potter nee Bones(deceased, Pureblood, adopted by Evans when 1 year old)_

 _God father: Sirius Orion Black_

 _God mother: Alice Leah Longbottom nee Danvers (under Black family curse-placed by Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black)_

 _Status: Pureblood_

 _Lordship:_

 _Lord of Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter_

 _Lord of Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell_

 _Lord of Royal house of Gryffindor-by blood_

 _Lord of Royal house of Slytherin-by right of conquest_

 _Lord of Ancient and Noble House of Gaunt- by right of conquest_

 _Abilities:_

 _Magical core-blocked up to 80%(30% inherited from parents)_

 _Wandless magic-fully blocked_

 _Heightened_ _Potential Animagus-fully blocked_

 _Non-verbal magic-partially blocked_

 _Parsel magic -fully blocked_

 _Photographic Memory-partially bound_

 _Parseltongue-partially blocked_

 _Health status:_

 _Partially_ _Malnourished_

 _Excess magic constantly being drained to scar._

 _A soul piece of Tom Marvolo Riddle in the cursed scar_

"What?!" Harry said looking a Lyra who gave Harry's scar a glare.

Lyra then pushed Hermione forward.

The goblin blinked still looking at Harry's paper but handed Hermione a dagger. She did as Harry did and watched as the words appeared.

 _Name: Kayla Aquila Black_ _(adopted by Samuel and Helen Granger as Hermione Jean Granger)_

 _Age: 15_

 _Father: Sirius Orion Black_

 _Mother:Lupa Acca Black (nee Prince)_

 _God father: Severus Tobias Snape_

 _God mother: Andromeda Druella Tonks nee Black_

 _Status: Pureblood_

 _Heirs to:_

 _Lady of Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Prince_

 _Lady of Royal house of Hufflepuff -by blood_

 _Lady of Royal house of Ravenclaw-by blood_

 _Abilities:_

 _Permanent Glamour charm_

 _Magical core-blocked up to 50%_

 _Wandless magic-fully blocked_

 _Heightened_ _Potential Animagus-fully blocked_

 _Non-verbal magic-partially blocked_

 _Photographic Memory-partially bound_

Remus looked at Hermione in surprise then to Lyra who took up the dagger from where Hermione dropped it and placed three drops of her blood on another piece of paper.

 _Name:Lyra Celeste Black_

 _Age: 15_

 _Father:Regulus Arcturus Black_

 _Sirius Orion Black(Blood Adoption)_

 _Mother:Aurora Amethyst Black (nee LeFay)_

 _God father: Severus Tobias Snape_

 _God mother: Andromeda Druella Tonks nee Black_

 _Status: Pureblood_

 _Heirs to:_

 _Lady of Most Ancient and Most Noble House of LeFay_

 _Lady of Royal house of Slytherin-by blood_

 _Lady of Royal house of Ravenclaw-by blood_

 _Heiress of Ancient and Most Noble house of Black_

 _Abilities:_

 _Magical core-blocked up to 50%_

 _Wandless magic-partially blocked_

 _Hightened Potential Animagus-fully blocked_

 _Non-verbal magic-partially blocked_

 _Photographic Memory-partially bound_

 _Health Status:_

 _Area Lock Curse_

 _Dead Voice Curse_

She looked at Harry and Hermione as they finished.

"I see that is why you aren't speaking, who placed such a curse on you?" Remus asked.

She took the parchment and flipped it over writing Albus Dumbledore in her neat handwriting..

"Albus?" Remus asked.

Lyra nodded.

"Mister Lupin if you could do the counter-curse so she could speak without pain that would be helpful." Ragnok said.

"Of, let's see Sanus Vocem." He said.

Lyra smiled.

"So Miss Black tell me what else has Albus Dumbledore done to you?"The goblin asked.

"He's used the Torture curse on me, locked me in my room for weeks on end, kept me separate from Kayla, and withheld information in the case of Sirius Black that he knows." She said quietly.

"Hmm, thank you, what has he done to Mister Potter and Miss Kayla?" He asked.

"Placed Harry with his Aunt and Uncle when he knows Uncle James and Aunt Lily said specifically not to in their will, forced him to live there, stolen from his vault, and allowed him to go into life threatening danger as a test. Kayla remains mostly untouched except for our what you already know." She explained her voice barely higher.

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 **Thanks for reading, I'd like three things, follows, favorites, and as least three reviews(including either pairing ideas or plot suggestions(such as "Make Umbridge pay for even touching Harry!") That would be helpful), If you guys could make that happen I'd be grateful. I do need Harry, Hermione, and Lyra's pairings for the next chapter.**


	3. Vaults

**Only two reviews, I'm not complaining but only one helped with my problem on pairings, you guys now have a Harry/OC(Lyra) Story, though I still need Hermione's pairing.**

 **review replies:**

 **SeverusBlack** - _I think you should make this Harry/OC, because Harry and Lyra seem to have similar upbringing, Harry was hidden by his relatives and Dumbledore hid Lyra. It looks like they could be good together so Harry/Lyra has large potential._

 **thewolf74** _-Wow. Dumbledore is one evil bastard. I'm happy that Harry and Hermione got her out of there and went to the bank. Please update soon. I want to know what happens next. I really like this story._

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Vaults

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 **Third Person POV**

"Miss Lyra Black, I will use this information to create a file that will be shared with others do you allow such actions?" Ragnok asked.

"Yes sir." She said.

"Would you like the blocks removed?" He asked the three.

"Yes." They replied.

"Mister Lupin?" Lyra asked.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I suggest you have yourself checked out as well." She warned.

"In light of these events I must agree." He replied.

The group was led to a area similar to the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts except many times bigger, including more potions all set to expire in exactly 3 months.

The group were ordered to lay on the medical beds and were given sleeping potions while the goblins worked.

 **Later**

 **Harry's POV**

After an hour the goblins had rid us of every bit of damage.

"Okay, surprisingly you and Miss Kayla Black were okay minus what was already found, Miss Lyra Black had several potions in her system, including secrecy potions and silence potions." She is now recovering her voice's true volume but she might not feel like using it, who knows, Mr. Lupin you had several modified memories as well as a obliviation." He listed.

"Uh, Mister Ragnok, where is Hermione?" I asked.

"That's not really my name is it?" Hermione's said from behind me.

He turned to see a girl with straight black hair reaching her shoulders, her grey eyes shining with amusement, or was it knowledge?

"Hermione?" I asked.

"Kayla, it is the name I was born with, use it."She ordered.

"Kayla?" Lyra asked.

"Yes?" Hermione said.

Lyra hugged her smiling.

"We can find Daddy clear his name and then we'll go back home and we can go to Hogwarts as sisters." She said.

"Yes, we can, well let's go, to our vaults first."Hermione replied.

"Okay." She said cheerfully, her voice a little louder than normal, though she was still quiet me, Tonks, and Remus all felt it was a step in the right direction.

"Let's see, the Potter vault or the Black vault first?" Ragnok asked, curious.

"Potter first, please."She answered politely.

The goblin lead them to a cart that seemed more luxurious than normal, with soft seats and actual seat belts.

"This is one of the Lord's and Lady's carts, very few people get to use these." he explained

As they sped towards the Potter vault Lyra's eyes didn't leave Hermione's face, one so similar to Sirius' the difference in fathers by birth, as well as their mothers was slightly noticeably, though they seemed remarkably similar due to their families looping together.

"Hermione, I-" He stopped when she turned.

"Harry that name is no longer mine, I don't want to use a name other than the one my mother gave me, I don't even know if she's alive." She said.

"Oh, Mama is alive, she cared for us both as babies." Lyra said.

"What about your mother?" Kayla/Hermione asked.

Lyra looked down,"Mum died giving birth." She said.

"Oh, I see." Kayla/Hermione said.

We rode in silence until we arrived at a vault with a imprint on each door, the first a symbol, a triangle with a circle inside and a line cutting them in half and the other was a a plumed, two-legged, serpentine-bodied creature, with wings and had two different wings on either side, the first was that of a Griffin the other bat-like in nature.

"Please step forward." He stated.

I did so and the symbol glowed black and the Griffin gave a noise between a roar and a screech as the door opened.

"Name yourself young Potter." A regal, yet humble voice ordered.

"I am Harry James Potter." I replied confidently.

"The house of the Occamy welcomes you Lord Harry James Potter." It said and the glow died down.

I stepped forward and looked around,"Harry?"

I swirled on the spot to see a portrait of my mom and dad.

"Mum? Dad?" I asked.

"Harry, are you here alone?" My dad asked.

"No, I'm with Remus Lupin, Nyphadora Tonks, Lyra Black, and Hermione or Kayla, whatever she wants to be called now." I answered.

"What about Padfoot? Sirius?" Mom asked.

"He's on the run he was blamed for your death." I answered.

"thosemoronsattheministry." Dad said unintelligibly.

"Tell us about yourself how's Hogwarts?" mom asked.

I told them of my years at Hogwarts and then thought back to my conversation with Dumbledore in second year,"Mum, Dad, do you know why me and Voldemort are so similar?" I asked aloud.

"Harry, to be honest I don't know, you are both half-bloods and apparently were raised in poor conditions but you aren't him okay Harry remember that you are a member of a respected and wealthy family, but we aren't like the Malfoys, Harry no unlike Voldemort, we Poters have never feared death Ignotus Peverell was given Death's Invisibiliy Cloak, he used it to live as long as he could even with people after the cloak he lived to an old age and passed on peacfully with his son hiding the cloak and himself, Hardwin Potter was humble and helped those in need, and Godric Gryffindor was brave and chivalrous, he never let his friends get hurt, especially not Salazar Slytherin, you Harry are just like those three ancestors, you make our family proud by being you." Dad said

"Thanks Dad." I said

Come on you're taking us with you, before we go over there in that chest are four rings, as head of House Potter you are to wear them in his order Potter, Peverell, and Gryffindor. they are in that order too." He added

I listened and grabbed the rings the Potter ring as a Amber gem with a Occamy etched into it and filled with bronze, the Peverell ring was a white agate with the same symbol etched into it and filled with a black metal, and lastly the Gryffindor Ring had a Griffin etched into it and was filled with gold

"Wait, the contract Harry have you seen it?" She asked.

"What contract?" Harry asked.

Lyra blinked and blushed a deep red.

"When you were born your father wanted to bring the Black family to the our side officially but to do that Sirius had to take his rightful place as Lord Black and he had to have a connection to our side so when we found out he had two heirs, James convinced me to sign a betrothal contract for you to marry one of his two heirs, the older of the two." Mom said.

I looked at Her-Kayla and Lyra.

"Lyra when were you born, I was born in September, the 19th of 1979 to be exact." Her-Kayla informed.

"May 1st, 1979." She said quickly.

"So wait, I'm- to her." I said surprised.

"Well yeah Harry, you two were inseparable when you were little." Dad said.

"Are you okay with this?" I asked Lyra.

Her blush deepened, "I don't mind it, you're really kind so I needn't worry about that."

It was my turn to blush.

"Okay, Remus Tonks is with you right?" James asked.

"Yes, why?" He asked.

"Get her here and she can take us to Andromeda, we'll talk to her about Sirius." Dad said.

"Okay, I'll catch up in a minute you three, go ahead to the Black family vault, I can trust them with you right?" Remus asked.

"Of course Mr. Lupin." He said.

With that a cart was called to take Remus back up and we rode the cart we had to a vault door like the Potter vault except one door had a raven on it and the other had what looked to be a floating cloaked figure.

Lyra stepped forward and opened the doors.

"Who dares enter The Black Family Vault?!" A creepy and wraith-like voice asked.

"L-Lyra c-Celeste Black, heir of House Black, here to take what is rightfully mine." She said more confidently as she went on.

"You have been recognized member of the house of Lethifold but you are not allowed the Black heir ring, I sense a betrothal contract, therefore it goes to Lady Kayla behind you." It said.

"Thank you." She said walking in and coming out with her own set of rings the first was a ring with Amythest with a wolf etched into it and filled with a black metal and the second had an emerald with a basilisk etched into it and filled with silver.

"What's the wolf?" I asked.

"Oh, it's a Direwolf Morgana had one that always fought Merlin's Phoenix." She said.

"It's time we head back." Ragnok said


	4. Summer at Grimmauld Place

**So, guys this chapter will cover most, if not all, of the the summer holidays. I hope you like it.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **Guest** \- _Dumbledouch much? Excellent story please update soon_

 ** _Thanks I will_**

 **desireejones99-** _Strange but fun_

 **I hope it continues to be so**

 **SeverusBlack-** _I think you should make this Harry/OC, because Harry and Lyra seem to have similar upbringing, Harry was hidden by his relatives and Dumbledore hid Lyra. It looks like they could be good together so Harry/Lyra has large potential._

 **Your suggestion was taken thanks.**

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Summer at Grimmauld Place

* * *

 **Kayla's POV**

I find myself question which of us is older between me and Lyra, she acted more like I was the older sibling. We were right in front of what Lyra tells me is a Black family home.

"So why aren't we going inside?" I asked.

"Oh, well I don't have the key." She said with a nervous smile.

"That's why, so who does?" Harry asked.

"Daddy, he'll be here after his hearing is finished." She said with a smile.

"Uh, Lyra, if both your mum and dad are dead where's my mother?" I asked.

"Aunt Lupa? She died." She said looking down.

"Lyra, it's okay, good to know." I told her. she nodded.

"Well, looks like what Remus told me is true, my girls, you've been right under my nose the whole time, Kayla or should I still call you Hermione?" Sirius-Dad, said.

"Kayla." I said smiling.

"Good, so Lyra how are you?" He asked.

"I'm fine Daddy." She said looking away.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I still fear Albus Dumbledore will come and try to finish his punishment and I have no wand to defend myself with." She blurted.

"Where's your wand?" Siriu- Dad asked.

"Dumbldore shoved it inside the sorting hat." she answered.

"Oh, this wand?" Harry asked holding out the dark colored wand he'd pulled from the sorting hat.

"My wand." She said with a smile.

"Yeah, the painting of the Headmaster that told Dumbledore to stop told us how to get it and you out of Hogwarts." He said,"I've kept it within reach for safekeeping."

She grabbed it and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek blushing, "Thanks for taking care of it for me."

He himself blushed as red as a tomato and stuttered out a "you're welcome".

"Now, come inside, I've got three rooms fully decontaminated, Kayla and Lyra you two will share a room and Harry you'll be bunking with our new arrivals." Dad said.

"Who is it?" Harry asked.

"Oh, you know them, they heard I was proven innocent and asked their mother if they could come and stay here, they convinced her by offering to bunk with you, seeing as there are only two girls here besides you and I have work to do as Lord Black, I must take my position on the Wizengamot as well as the papers to officially be the guardian of all three of you." He said.

"Who?" Harry asked.

 _Crack!_

With that sound Harry got his answer as two identical, redheaded, prankster, twins landed on him.

"Well, I probably should have told you to move Harry." Dad said pulling the two up.

"Fred? George?" Harry asked in realization and I noticed Lyra looking at them her eyes shining with curiosity.

"Harry, Sirius, Ladies?" The two said at the same time.

"Fred and George Weasley meet my daughter Kayla Aquila Black or you would know her as Hermione Granger and my niece and adoptive daughter Lyra Celeste Black."

"Wait, Hermione is a pureblood?" Fred asked.

"And you have two daughters, one of which was your niece?" George added.

"Yes, to both." Dad answered.

"Well, that's new." They both said.

"So you two will be bunking with Harry and remember you two you're here until Hogwarts starts but once you get to Hogwarts I don't have to keep a check on you." He winked at the two and walked out.

 **a month later**

 **Harry's POV**

We spent most of our time during the many summer days, cleaning up the rooms we wanted to go into and learning spells Lyra had read up on while in Dumbledore's captivity, we soon found out she was up to our year and over breakfast while the twins told Lyra about the wonders of pranking Kayla leaned over and whispered into my ear.

"She practices every night before bed." She said

"Well, oh crap, that reminds me, I have something for her, can you cover for me?" I asked.

"Sure." She said.

With that I ran to the room me and the twins shared and lifted the mattress of my bed to reveal a golden necklace with a ruby pendant, inside of which was a golden Griffin.

"Good choice of jewelry Harry." I spun around to see my godfather standing in the doorway.

"It belonged to Godric Gryffindor's wife, I wanted to give it to Lyra, I have noticed she doesn't mind being betrothed and well if she wants to give it a try I might as well do my best, shouldn't I?" I asked.

"Yes, she asked me yesterday if she was cute enough to be your girlfriend let alone your fiancee, Harry, she's lacking in self-confidence this will be the push she needs to feel better about herself." He said reassuringly.

"Well, I'll go give this to her, talk to you later Sirius." I said walking back to the sitting room and said,"Lyra, I have something for you."

She turned and when I revealed the necklace she blinked.

"It's pretty." She said taking it gently.

"Well?" I asked.

I was surprised when she hugged me smiling.

"Thanks Harry." She said.

"Here." I said and took the necklace putting it on for her.

She gave a bright smile and we all sat down with Fred and George telling stories of the pranks they had pulled, with Lyra sitting to my left and Kayla to my right.

 **Four Weeks Later**

It was the August 20th **(A/N:Just as a note this is a change caused by Harry living in Grimmauld place.)** and Lyra and I were currently walking back from a trip to Diagon Alley when a chill went down my spine and frost started to appear on the glass in the area.

"Oh no." I said and looked around, there they were gliding towards us.

"Lyra, Dementors." I said.

"Right." She said drawing her wand,"Expecto Protronum."

From her wand burst a silver fox burst from her wand but dissipated when it touched a Dementor.

"Crap, Harry I can concentrate good enough yet, you need to do it." She said.

"I can't I have the trace." I said.

"This is life or death Harry you can use magic if necessary, this counts." She said getting behind me shivering.

I nodded and pointed my wand as they got close I thought of the look she had when I put the necklace around her neck, the shining in her eyes and the look that said thank you thousands of times and then a thought popped into my head, of the things that could have happened, we could have grown up knowing each other, my Mom and Dad could watch as we spent christmas together all laughing and spending time together.

"Expecto Patronum!" I yelled as one of the two was right in front of me my stag patronus burst out shining much brighter than it had ever been.

The stag ran after the Dementors until they were out of sight.

"Let's hurry back." She said, just as quiet as she hat been almost two months previously, shivering her breath visible at the current temperature.

When we walked inside I stopped dead seeing Sirius glaring at and holding a letter with a ministry seal on it.

"Harry you used a Patronus? Were there Dementors? Are you both alright?" He asked.

"Yes Sirius I used a Patronus, there were Dementors, and I'm alright, how are you Lyra?" I asked.

She nodded, "I'm okay, a little shaken up but okay."

"You have a hearing on the 30th." Sirius informed.

* * *

 **So I hope this was an okay chapter, if not I'll try to do better next time. So as usual I will loe all follows and favorites and reply to all reviews to the current chapter in the next one.**


	5. Ministry and Hearing

**Whew, longest chapter yet I hope you guys like it.**

* * *

Ministry and Hearing

* * *

 **Harry's POV**

It was the day of my hearing and I was wearing my best clothes,and listening to Lyra as she talked to me about my position as head but not Lord of my three Houses.

"As head of three houses you have the right to choose someone on the Wizengamot to vote for you as proxy, normally someone on your side, but you yourself cannot until you take the title of Lord. On the Wizengamot the Potter family is respected by the light and neutral sides, Gryffindor has the respect of most families on the council even the Slytherins, the most influential is the Peverell, an ancient family that is credited with the creation of Invisibility cloaks and the strongest wand to ever exist some call it the Elder wand, or more funny than used, the Death Stick, the Peverell family is the ancestor of both the Gryffindor and Slytherin families." She said.

"So we're distantly related?" I asked.

"All pure-blood families are, the Blacks related to the Malfoy family through Draco and his mum and you're related to us through your grandmother Dorea Potter." She informed.

"Okay then, I guess I can understand." I said.

"Come on you two, we'll be side-along apparating." He informed.

"Kayla's in charge!" He added earning a groan from Fred and George.

We both grabbed on tightly to his arm and with a _crack!_

My mouth had fallen open as soon as I could see.

We were standing at one end of a very long and magnificent hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that kept moving and changing like some enormous heavenly noticeboard. The wall's on each side were panelled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh. On the right-hand side, short queues were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart.

Halfway down the hall was a fountain. A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin and a house-elf. The last three were all locking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of their wands, the point of the centaurs a bow, the tip of the goblin's hat and each of the house-elf's ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of the Apparators and the clatter of footsteps as hundreds of witches and wizards, most of whom were wearing glum, early-morning looks, strode towards a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall

"Put these on and come this way," Sirius said handing us two badges.

Mine read: _'Harry James Potter, heir of Houses Potter, Gryffindor, and Peverell' 'Diciplinary Hearing'_

Lyra smiled as she got hers to be as comfortable as she could, hers read:

 _'Lyra Celeste Black, heir of Houses Slytherin and LeFay, fiancee of Harry James Potter' 'Witness'_

I gave her a reassuring smile as she looked a the fiancee part and looked at me _._

We joined the throng, wending our way between the Ministry workers, some of whom were carrying tottering piles of parchment, others battered briefcases; still others were reading the Daily Prophet while they walked. As we passed the fountain I saw silver Sickles and bronze Knuts glinting up at him from the bottom of the pool. A small smudged sign beside it read _:_

 _ALL PROCEEDS FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF MAGICAL BRETHREN WILL BE GIVEN TO ST MUNGO'S HOSPITAL FOR MAGICAL MALADIES AND INJURIES._

 _If I'm not expelled from Hogwarts, I'll put in ten Galleons_ , I found myself thinking desperately.

As we walked by Lyra threw four galleons in.

"Hope it helps." She said.

We soon stepped out of the stream of Ministry employees heading for the golden gates. Seated at a desk to the left, beneath a sign saying Security, a badly-shaven wizard in peacock blue robes looked up as we approached and put down his Daily Prophet.

"I'm escorting visitors." Sirius said, gesturing towards me and Lyra.

"Right over here," said the wizard in a bored voice.

I walked closer to him and the wizard held up a long golden rod, thin and flexible as a car aerial, and passed it up and down my front and back and he simply checked over Lyra.

"Wand," grunted the security wizard, putting down the golden instrument and holding out his hand.

I handed him my wand. The wizard dropped it on to a strange brass instrument, which looked something like a set of scales with only one dish. It began to vibrate. A narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base. The wizard tore this off and read the writing on it.

"Eleven inches, phoenix-feather core, been in use four years. That correct?"

"Yes," I said nervously.

"I keep this," said the wizard, impaling the slip of parchment on a small brass spike. "You get this back," he added, thrusting the wand at me.

"Thank you." I said

Lyra handed her wand over and he did the same as with my own,"Ten and a half inches,Thestral hair core, in use for one year. Correct?" He asked receiving a nod and gave her wand back.

"Hang on . . ." said the wizard slowly.

His eyes had darted from the silver visitor's badge on Lyra's chest to me, then to my forehead.

We walked on to a elevator and went down until Sirius pulled us out and we walked to a door with a bronze ten above it.

"Okay Harry go into the middle of the room, when the hearing starts someone will ask who you will choose as proxy, choose Amelia Bones, she's the most trustworthy person for you and she's fair." He informed.

"Got it." I said and he walked in, us following a minute later. The walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches. Empty benches rose on either side of him, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were many shadowy figures Sirius was visible among them smiling reassuringly. They had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind us an ominous silence fell.

"Right on time Mister Potter." A woman said.

"Let's begin. Are you ready?" The minister of Magic Cornelias Fudge called down the row.

'Yes, sir,' said an eager voice Harry knew. Ron's brother Percy was sitting at the very end of the front bench. Harry looked at Percy, expecting some sign of recognition from him, but none came. Percy's eyes, behind his horn-rimmed glasses, were fixed on his parchment, a quill poised in his hand.

"Disciplinary hearing of the thirtieth of August," said Fudge in a ringing voice, and Percy began taking notes at once, "into offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at Number 12 Grimmauld place, Black family home, London. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley Witnesses for the defense- " He said waiting for Lyra to introduce herself.

"L-Lyra C-Celeste Black,Lady of the Royal House of Slytherin and Ancient and Most Noble house of LeFay." She stated.

"What is your relation to the accused?" He asked.

"I am his betrothed." She informed.

"Lord Black?" Fudge asked.

"Yes, his parents and I thought it would bring our families closer together." He informed.

"That brings up Mister Potter and Miss Black who will you choose as a proxy for you?" One witch asked

"I was told Madam Bones is fair so I will trust her with the LeFay and Slytherin votes." Lyra said with a small smile.

"I will trust her judgement as well." I said.

"To continue..." He extricated a piece of parchment from the pile before him, took a deep breath, and read out,

"The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, where he could have been seen, on the twentieth of August at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy."

"You are Harry James Potter, of number 12, Grimmauld place, London?" Fudge said, glaring at Harry over the top of his parchment.

"Yes," I said.

"You received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?"

"Yes, but - "

"And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the twentieth of August?'"said Fudge

"Yes," I said, "but - "

"Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen?"

"Yes, but - "

"Knowing that you were in an area full of Muggles?"

"Yes," I said angrily, "but I only used it because we were - "

The witch with the monocle cut across him in a booming voice.

"You produced a fully-fledged Patronus?"

"Yes," I said, "because - "

"A corporeal Patronus?"

"A - what?" I said.

"Your Patronus had a clearly defined form. She means, it was more than vapour or smoke, it took an actual shape." Lyra informed

"Yes," I said, feeling both impatient and slightly desperate, "it's a stag, it's always a stag."

"Always?" boomed Madam Bones. "You have produced a Patronus before now?"

"Yes," I said, "I've been doing it for over a year."

"And you are fifteen years old? You learned this at school?"

"Yes, Professor Lupin taught me in my third year, because of the presence of Dementors and the effect they have on me." I informed finally able to finish a sentence.

"Impressive," said Madam Bones, staring down at him, "a true Patronus at his age . . . very impressive indeed."

"'It's not a question of how impressive the magic was," said Fudge in a testy voice, "in fact, the more impressive the worse it is, I would have thought, given that the boy did it in plain view of a Muggle!"

"Minister, if I may, I was there and no Muggle was outside their home, in fact I don't think I've seen any of our neighbors leave their houses and another thing, you keep cutting Harry off not letting him give his side of the story as well as ignoring that I am in fact his witness, it is as if you are trying to rake in the guilty votes, don't even get me started on the Daily Prophet it is obvious that outside influence is used or they would have moved on to a new topic, someone is making my betrothed look like he's an attention seeking liar, we could call in any of the teachers or even fellow Gryffindors and they'll tell you Harry is selfless and hates attention as for lying well the most he's done around me so far is downplaying his abilities as if they are nothing more than meager as some have seen from the Triwizard tournament Harry is an excellent flyer yet he told me he wasn't that good, anyone think that he could be what the prophet makes him out to be?" Lyra said nervously at first but becoming more confident as she saw people nodding in agreement.

"I must admit, it doesn't seem likely, though Mister Potter mentioned the Dementors have an effect on him, please could you tell us what that effect is Mister Potter?" A wizard with golden blonde hair asked.

"The Dementors are drawn to me and when they get close I hear the dying screams of my mum and the shouts of my dad." I explained.

Many people in the room including Madam Bones and Sirius flinch.

"Although they appear to have a worse effect on Lyra I have yet to ask what that effect is myself." I added.

"Well at the end of this hearing could you please tell us Miss Black, I wish to make an inquiry as to why you were attacked but I am curiouse to know the effect on you and why." He said.

"O-okay." She said.

"Well with the evidence given one last question Miss Black please tell us what happened that night?" Madam Bones asked.

"Well Harry and I went on a date in Diagon Alley and on the way home everything got cold and frost covered every bit of glass and every reflective surface, it became extremely cold and then there were the Dementors their ragged cloaks and hooded faces, a feeling worse than anything else blanketed me and I felt dead inside all my happy memories out of reach, they came for us and I myself tried to use a patronus but the most that happened was a silver fox running towards a Dementor before it dissipated, Harry used his own and it actually worked, he led us both home and we stayed there the rest of the night."

"I see, your patronus charm never set of your trace due to these feelings it doesn't count as a patronus charm unless the effect works." One man said.

"Well, thank you, now that you have the evidence Those in favour of clearing the witness of all charges?' said Madam Boness booming voice.

My head jerked upwards. There were hands in the air, many of them . . . more than half! Madam Bones continued, 'And those in favour of conviction?'

Fudge raised his hand; so did half a dozen others, including the witch on his right and the heavily-moustached wizard and the frizzy-haired witch in the second row. Fudge glanced around at them all, looking as though there was something large stuck in his throat, then lowered his own hand. He took two deep breaths and said, in a voice distorted by suppressed rage,"Very well, very well . . . cleared of all charges."

* * *

 **So once again I hope you all liked the chapter, and as usual follows and favorites will be loved and reviews are welcomed with open arms.**


	6. To Hogwarts

**So now that I can answer reviews here's a chapter for you wonderful people.**

 **Review Replies:**

 **shadowkat87** _-Wow I really like this story can't wait to read more, as for kayla/Hermione I do have a thought on a pairing for her but I don't know if you would go for it. Pm if you interested in find out what I think._

 **I look forward to hearing it, for all other readers, I will always consider any suggestions given to me by any of you.**

 **thewolf74** _-I'm happy that Lyra helped Harry during his hearing. Please update soon._

 **Well I wanted Fudge to be shot down from being an asshole, so why not just make Lyra politely break his cockiness.**

 **kyle parker** _-Kayla/Luna pairing_

 **I will consider it and if others feel it is a good idea, then I'll definitely do what I can.**

 **Guest** _-interesting_

 **I hope it is.**

 **desireejones99** _-Can all those that voted for conviction please bare their left arm? That would have been a great follow up question._

 **I know right? Though Fudge would be the worst Death Eater ever, he'd make Mr. Peter save-his-own-skin Pettigrew look good and die on the first day.**

* * *

To Hogwarts

* * *

 **Harry's POV**

I frowned at Lyra as she reluctantly stepped onto the Hogwarts Express.

"Lyra, Dumbledore can't hurt you anymore and we'll never let him, he'll have to get through me to get to you."I reassured.

"Okay." She said with her usual smile.

"I'm off to the prefect's carriage I'll be back soon." Kayla said walking off.

With that we found a compartment and began telling Lyra about our favorite classes. After a while Kayla returned and minutes later the door to the compartment opened as usual to reveal Draco Malfoy.

"Hello cousin." Kayla stated.

"Who are you if I may?" He asked confused.

"Kayla Aquila Black, at your service." She said.

"Ah, Sirius Black's daughter, where have you been?" He asked surprising me and Kayla with his genuine concern.

"Kidnapped, placed under glamour, and raised by two muggles." She stated.

"Wait, don't tell me?" He said.

"Yes, you've known me as Hermione Granger, muggleborn, though you can thank Dumbledore for that, the manipulative old coot." She growled.

"I see and that is?" He asked when he noticed Lyra.

"Lyra Celeste Black, nice to meet you Draco." She said smiling kindly.

"Nice to meet you as well." He said returning the smile.

"So Draco, you seem nicer?" I said.

"Well Potter, you're at least taking your positions now and I am nicer because Kayla was always my favorite cousin growing up, the reason I was like I was is because she disappeared, losing a loved family member makes you change Potter so let's start over." He said.

"I'm Draco Lucius Malfoy, heir of The Ancient and Most Noble House of Malfoy and let me just say if you hurt my cousins, I'll throw you in a vanishing cabinet and wait." He said smiling, his arm held out for a handshake.

"I'm Harry James Potter, head of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell, as well as the royal house of Gryffindor by blood and royal house Slytherin by conquest and I promise, nothing will hurt them if I have a say in it." I smirked and we shook hands.

"Oh by conquest, does that mean Lyra by any chance?" He said jokingly making Lyra and Kayla both blush at his joke.

"Um..." I trailed off having no idea what to say.

"W-well, um, I d-do have to acknowledge him as Lord Slytherin, though I still hold Lady Slytherin if we weren't betrothed I would be under him in ranking." Lyra said her blush getting brighter.

With that the group began to drift from the topic and soon arrived to find Dumbledore waiting for them.

"Mister Potter, Miss Black, please join me we have much to discuss." He said his eyes twinkling as they usually did.

Lyra hid behind me as his gaze drifted over her.

"Fine but no funny business." I glared.

Draco and Kayla looked unsure but went ahead.

We sat with the headmaster as the carriage began moving.

"Now Mister Potter, I'm sure you wish for Miss Black to be sorted, but I must first clear up if you are more... intimately involved before I can fulfill Sirius' request for compensation." He informed.

"No Professor we're taking this relationship slow, we haven't even gotten close to kissing anywhere near but each other's cheeks." I informed.

"Good good, now we still have time so tell me how was your holiday?" he asked.

"Great without my so called relatives." I said truthfully and genuinely happier.

"I see, but I must press how important it is you stay there during the summer, the protections placed there-" He began

"Aren't even useful, Lady Potter wasn't even related to Petunia Dursley, but Amelia and Reyna Bones." Lyra shot off with a glare.

"And another thing, the invisibility cloak wasn't the only Potter family heirloom that you withheld from Harry, I, Lyra Celeste Black, hereby claim the Elder wand in the name of my fiancee, Harry James Potter, the last of the Peverell line." She said and a wand flew from the headmasters pocket into my hands.

"I see, very well then, I'll be heading to the Great Hall." He said walking out the moving carriage and disappearing before the door closed.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A wand created by Death and one of the three Deathly Hallows, three items when held together make the wielder master of Death, no one has gathered all three though Merlin was the closest, the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility." She explained.

"I see, how close?" I asked.

"He'd just found the Resurrection Stone as he died, quite ironic actually." She giggled.

"It is." I laughed and we soon took the journey to the Great Hall.

As we entered Professor Flitwick came over.

"Mister Potter please sneak into the Great Hall, I will bring Miss Black in on cue." He said with a kind smile.

"Okay then." I said.

 **Lyra's POV**

After a few minutes of waiting at the door, I heard,"Now before we can move on to the announcements there is a final sorting, due to certain matters we have a nice young girl joining her age group in 5th year, Miss Lyra Black." With that Professor Flitwick gave me a gentle pushed me in, I walked up to the three legged stool nervously.

I could see the members of the four houses whispering and the look from Professor McGonagal was a small reassuring nod. As I sat she placed the hat on my head and the hat spoke instantly, _So Miss Black I can see your time with the Headmaster has not diminished your bright mind, but intelligence isn't your most redeeming quality, neither is ambition or cleverness, you are loyal and hardworking but not the biggest thing, better be..._ "GRYFFINDOR!" The hat yelled.

I jumped up and scurried over to the cheering table and sat down with a small smile beside Harry.


	7. The truth comes out

**Yes! Chapter 7, I hope you all like what I could do(will be explained at the end)**

 **review replies:**

 **desireejones99** _-Excellent update, guess that was just to keep them close, though Ravenclaw would have worked, and Slytherin would have been a force by Dumbles I'm sure._

 **Thanks, why she went to Gyrffindor will be touched upon or explained later, yes she would have been a great Ravenclaw, and as for Slytherin, well it wouldn't be a force but it would have been bad due to her personality .**

 **shadowkat87** _-OK I got the idea I was going to suggest either luna or ginny and again it's a lovely story I can't wait to read more._

 **Okay I'm putting up a poll for either Kayla/Luna, Kayla/Ginny, or Kayla/other.**

 **LittlebigmouthOKC** _ **-** You just know that Kayla and Lyra are going to take down every so called Gryphandor sex kitten (Lavender, Ginny ,Pavarti ,etc.) Without even smudging their lipgloss._

 **They might ;), but the main thing is that Harry and Lyra will take down Umbridge.**

 **thewolf74** _-I'm happy that Harry and Draco are getting along now. Please update soon._

 **Yeah, if I'm honest I never really like Ron that much, he's kind of an idiot, Draco though is smart so he'll be much more helpful.**

* * *

The truth comes out

* * *

 **Kayla's POV**

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate - for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread and sauces and flagons of pumpkin juice.

As we ate I noticed that Lyra just smiled looking around the table eating slowly.

When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the Hall was starting to creep upwards again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the Headmaster.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too."

"Mr Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Filch's office door. We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause, except from Lyra who seemed to be acting enthused, but everyone saw it was an obvious act.

Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the - "

He broke off, looking enquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge cleared her throat, 'Hem, hem,' and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.

Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."

Her voice was high-pitched, breathy and little-girlish and, I knew she was here to interfere. She gave another little throat-clearing cough ('hem, hem') and continued.

"Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy. On the contrary, they all looked rather taken-aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!

Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.

"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ('hem, hem'), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them for ever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little 'hem, hem' and went on with her speech.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation . . ." The speech went on but her point had been subtly made.

She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Harry noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now, as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."

"Yes, it certainly was illuminating," said Hermione in a low voice. "It explained a lot."

"Did it?" said Harry in surprise. "Sounded like a load of waffle to me."

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle," I said grimly.

'Right, that waffle was illuminating and amusing, she obviously wasn't a Ravenclaw or Slytherin when she went here" Lyra said.

"How about: "progress for progress's sake must be discouraged"? How about: "pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited"?" I said "The Ministry's interfering at Hogwarts.'

There was a great clattering and banging all around us; Dumbledore had obviously just dismissed the school, because everyone was standing up ready to leave the Hall. I jumped up, flustered.

"I'm supposed to show the First years to the common room."

"First-years!' I called commandingly along the table. "This way, please!"

 **Harry's POV**

A group of new students walked shyly up the gap between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, all of them trying hard not to lead the group. They did indeed seem very small; I was sure I had not appeared that young when I had arrived here. As they passed Lyra gave them a kind smile. Some stared at her and I even heard one as she passed me,"That girl looks like an angel."

"She looks nice, oh let's hurry or we'll be left behind." Her friend said.

I kept my eyes fixed ahead as Lyra and I wove our way through the crowd in the Entrance Hall the stares not going unnoticed, then hurried up the marble staircase, took a couple of concealed short cuts and had soon left most of the crowds behind.

 _I had been stupid not to expect this,_ I thought angrily as we walked through the much emptier upstairs corridors. _Of course everyone was staring at me; I had emerged from the Triwizard maze two months previously clutching the dead body of a fellow student and claiming to have seen Lord Voldemort return to power. There had not been time last term to explain myself before they'd all had to go home - even if I had felt up to giving the whole school a detailed account of the terrible events in that graveyard._

We had reached the end of the corridor to the Gryffindor common room and come to a halt in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady before I realized that I did not know the new password.

"Er . . ." I said glumly, staring up at the Fat Lady, who smoothed the folds of her pink satin dress and looked sternly back at me.

"No password, no entrance," she said loftily.

"Harry, I know it!" Someone panted up behind him and he turned to see Neville jogging towards him. "Guess what it is? I'm actually going to be able to remember it for once - " He waved the stunted little cactus he had shown them on the train. "Mimbuius mimbletonia!"

"Correct," said the Fat Lady, and her portrait swung open towards them like a door, revealing a circular hole in the wall behind, through which Harry, Lyra, and Neville now climbed.

The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cosy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands by it before going up to their dormitories; on the other side of the room Fred and George were pinning something up on the noticeboard. Harry waved goodnight to them and headed straight for the door to the boys' dormitories; he was not in much of a mood for talking at the moment. Neville followed him. As did Lyra.

Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan had reached the dormitory first and were in the process of covering the walls beside their beds with posters and photographs. They had been talking as I pushed open the door but stopped abruptly the moment they saw me. I wondered whether they had been talking about me, then whether I was being paranoid.

"So why's Black here?" Ron asked from his bed where he was putting his stuff.

"Oh, well, I was going to talk with Harry about his moving from this dorm tomorrow." She said when the other two noticed her.

"Why?" Demon asked.

"We're both moving into the same dorm." She said.

"But that's against the rules?" He asked.

"Normally yes but-" She began but I interrupted.

"Good holiday Dean?" I asked.

"Okay." he chuckled, as a true account of his holiday would have taken most of the night to relate and he could not face it. "You?"

"Great." I said

Dean chukcled again. "Better than Seamus's, anyway, he was just telling me."

"Why, what happened, Seamus?" Neville asked as he placed his Mimbuius mimbletonia tenderly on his bedside cabinet.

Seamus did not answer immediately; he was making rather a meal of ensuring that his poster of the Kenmare Kestrels Quidditch team was quite straight. Then he said, with his back still turned to me, 'Me mam didn't want me to come back.'

"What?" I asked, pausing in the act of pulling off my robes.

"She didn't want me to come back to Hogwarts."

Seamus turned away from his poster and pulled his own pyjamas out of his trunk, still not looking at me.

"But - why?" I said, astonished. I knew that Seamus's mother was a witch and could not understand, therefore, why she should have come over so Dursleyish.

Seamus did not answer until he had finished buttoning his pyjamas.

"Well," I said in a measured voice, "I suppose . . . because of you."

"What d'you mean?" I said quickly.

My heart was beating rather fast. I felt vaguely as though something was closing in on me.

"Well," said Seamus again, still avoiding my eyes, "she . . . er . . . well, it's not just you, it's Dumbledore, too . . ."

"She believes the Daily Prophet?" I said. "She thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool?"

Seamus looked up at me.

"Yeah, something like that."

I said nothing as I threw my wand down on to my bedside table, pulled off my robes, stuffed them angrily into my trunk and pulled on my pyjamas. I was sick of it: sick of being the person who is stared at and talked about all the time. If any of them knew, if any of them had the faintest idea what it felt like to be the one all these things had happened to . . . Mrs Finnigan had no idea, the stupid woman, I thought savagely.

I sat on my bed and made to talk to the patiently waiting Lyra, who had turned around while we were all changing, but before I could do so, Seamus said, "Look . . . what did happen that night when . . . you know, when . . . with Cedric Diggory and all?"

Seamus sounded nervous and eager at the same time. Dean, who had been bending over his trunk trying to retrieve a slipper, went oddly still and I knew he was listening hard.

"What are you asking me for?" Harry retorted. "Just read the Daily Prophet like your mother, why don't you? That'll tell you all you need to know."

"Don't you have a go at my mother," Seamus snapped.

"I'll have a go at anyone who calls me a liar," said Harry.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"I'll talk to you how I want," said Harry, his temper rising so fast he snatched his wand back from his bedside table. "If you've got a problem sharing a dormitory with me, go and ask McGonagall if you can be moved . . . stop your mummy worrying - "

"Leave my mother out of this, Potter!"

"What's going on?"

Lyra had turned around most likely worried. Her wide eyes travelled from me, kneeling on my bed with my wand pointing at Seamus, to Seamus, who was standing there with his fists raised.

"He's having a go at my mother!" Seamus yelled.

"She believes every word the stinking Daily Prophet writes about me!" I said at the top of my voice.

"Oh," She said , comprehension dawning across her confused face. "Oh . . . right."

"You know what?" said Seamus heatedly, casting me a venomous look. "He's right, I don't want to share a dormitory with him any more, he's mad."

"You are insulting the head of three powerful houses by blood and one by conquest, Seamus Finnigan," she said her eye glinting with anger.

"Am I?" shouted Seamus "You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he's telling the truth?"

"Yeah, I do believe him, as his fiance I happen to know he is right!" Lyra yelled angrily her hair turning blood red.

"Then you're mad, too," said Seamus in disgust then blinked,"Wait fiance?"

"Yes, unfortunately for you I'm also the head of the LeFay and Slytherin houses' She said Ron, pointing her wand at him 'So unless you want me to hex your balls off, watch how you speak to me and him!"

Seamus paled as well as the rest of us but with a noise of contempt he turned on his heel, vaulted into bed and pulled the hangings shut with such violence that they were ripped from the bed and fell in a dusty pile to the floor. She glared at Seamus, then looked at Ron,Dean, and Neville.

"Anyone else's parents got a problem with Harry?" She asked her eyes the same color as her hair.

"My parents are Muggles, mate," said Dean, shrugging. "They don't know nothing about no deaths at Hogwarts, because I'm not stupid enough to tell them."

"You don't know my mother, she'd weasel anything out of anyone!" Seamus snapped at him. "Anyway, your parents don't get the Daily Prophet. They don't know our Headmaster's been sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards because he's losing his marbles - "

"My gran says that's rubbish," piped up Neville. 'She says it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore. She's cancelled our subscription. We believe Harry," said Neville simply. I noticed he didn't say they believed Dumbledore, they believed me. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin, looking owlishly over them at Seamus. "My grans always said You-Know-Who would come back one day. She says if Harry says he's back, he's back."

I felt a rush of gratitude towards Neville. Nobody else said anything. Seamus got out his wand, repaired the bed hangings and vanished behind them. Dean got into bed, rolled over and fell silent. Neville, who appeared to have nothing more to say either, was gazing fondly at his moonlit cactus and Ron was currently not even looking in her direction his face pale.

I layed back on my pillows,"Harry, Uncle Sev said he'll move our stuff to the secret dorm tomorrow morning during breakfast see you tomorrow." Lyra said stomping out with a wave towards Seamus' bed and a quick Diffindo cutting the curtains down.

* * *

 **So once again I hope you liked it but honestly there wasn't much I felt could be changed, to be honest because they can't do much just yet, but as we go on more might change, so as usual I will love reviews and the follows and favorites always help.**


	8. The truth is known

**Well here's another chapter, I must say that this has been a productive weekend and I even have an idea for a Bleach fanfic that I really want to write, but I promise this will be finished before I start that, I have to finish book 1 of this "Familial" series at least.**

 **Anyway, I've talked enough Review replies:**

 **desireejones99 -** _All stems back to Dumbles keeping secrets, Philosopher's Stone death of QuirelMort, The Basilisk, Lying about Sirius and leaving him in Azkaban and finally, using Harry for bait, if theses had been investigated by Amelia Bones the record would be there and an investigation of what happened during Goblet of Fire would not be able to be covered up_

 **They'll be brought to Albus at some point, can't let that bastard get away with torture can we?**

 **shadowkat87** _-_ _Very good can't wait until the next chapter._

 **Thanks, here's that chapter I'm back to my normal 1,000-1,900, which really helps in my decision making.**

* * *

The truth is known

* * *

 **Harry's POV**

Seamus dressed at top speed next morning and left the dormitory before I had even put on my socks.

"Good thing I moving dorms that'll annoy the hell out of me." I said loudly as the hem of Seamus's robes whipped out of sight.

I finished getting dressed and walked down to find Lyra waiting.

"Finnigan, still a prat?" She asked.

"Yes, so is Draco meeting up with us at breakfast?" I asked seeing her looking angrily at Ron as he passed.

"Yes, he sent his owl ahead to tell us he's waiting outside the Great Hall." She said and smiled as Hermione came over.

With that we walked out to the Great Hall and found Draco waiting.

"Well, before we go sit at our tables I have news, Fudge wants Umbridge to watch you and get you to stop saying Voldemort's back by any means necessary." He informed.

"Thanks Drake, watch yourself if you ever need any help anywhere in the castle Harry, Hermione, and I together own three fourths of the castle." Lyra informed.

"Thanks." He said smirking.

With that we left to eat breakfast and get our schedules.

"Hey Potter!" I turned to see Pansy Parkinson coming over,"What's this I heard about you having a Fiancee, what family would betroth a girl to someone as insane as you."

"Hello, I'm Lyra Celeste Black and you are?" Lyra asked.

"Oh, you, well we should have known the blood traitor Black's daughter." She said.

"Actually, I'm his daughter, she's his niece and later adoptive daughter after her mother's death." Kayla pointed out.

"I'd better properly introduce myself then, I'm Pansy Parkinson, heiress to the Noble house of Parkinson." She said.

"Lyra Celeste Black, heiress to the LeFay and Slytherin houses." Lyra said kindly not noticing Pansy's jaw dropping.

"Kayla Aquila Black, heiress to the Black. Prince, and Ravenclaw Houses." Kayla informed not helping Pansy in picking up her jaw.

"How is "this" the descendant of both Morgana LeFay and Salazar Slytherin?" She asked looking at Lyra in a mixture of disgust and jealousy.

"What's wrong with me?" Lyra asked looking down at herself.

"No Slytherin would sit by someone like him." She said pointing at Dean who was talking to a much calmer Seamus, who only looked our way when Dean turned.

"What's wrong with him? He's nice from what I've seen, other than a need for deodorant I actually kinda like him." Lyra said confused.

"He's a mudblood." Pansy said.

Lyra's eyes immediately turned the same blood red as when she was yelling at Seamus, her hair followed a few seconds after.

"Never say that filthy word around me ever!" She yelled and pointed her wand at Pansy.

It was then I noticed the Great Hall had gone quiet.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Snape said as he walked over.

"She said "that" word Uncle Sev." Lyra informed with a glare.

"I see, Miss Parkinson you have detention, Lyra, you owe me a foot long essay on the usefulness of Polyjuice potion compared to your own metamorphmagus abilities." He ordered.

"Yes, sir." She said cheerfully.

"Yes Professor." Pansy said.

"To class." Professor McGonagal ordered.

The first class of the day was History of Magic. History of Magic was by common consent the most boring subject ever devised by wizardkind. Professor Binns, our ghost teacher, had a wheezy, droning voice that was almost guaranteed to cause severe drowsiness within ten minutes, five in warm weather. He never varied the form of their lessons, but lectured them without pausing while they took notes, or rather, gazed sleepily into space. I had so far managed to scrape passes in this subject only by copying Kayla's notes before exams; she alone seemed able to resist the soporific power of Binns's voice.

Today, they suffered an hour and a half's droning on the subject of giant wars. I heard just enough within the first ten minutes to appreciate dimly that in another teacher's hands this subject might have been mildly interesting, but then my brain disengaged, and I spent the remaining hour and twenty minutes playing hangman on a corner of my parchment with Draco, while Kayla shot us filthy looks out of the corner of her eye, Lyra on the other hand had taken our approach and was simply drawing in a notebook.

"What were you drawing Lyra?" Draco asked.

"Us." She said showing us the first page which was a drawing of the four of us, each of us had different eyes, Hermione had sharp, analytic eyes, Draco had his own sharp, wary eyes, Lyra had a kind yet powerful gaze, and my own eyes, they showed fearlessness and freedom that I only felt when flying on a broom.

"What's with the eyes?" I asked.

"I don't know, I just drew what felt right." She said.

We continued to talk about random things until it was time for potions.

"Settle down," Snape said coldly, shutting the door as the last student came in.

There was no real need for the call to order; the moment the class had heard the door close, quiet had fallen and all fidgeting stopped. Snape's mere presence was usually enough to ensure a class's silence.

"Before we begin today's lesson," He said , sweeping over to his desk and staring around at them all, "I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an "Acceptable" in your OWL, or suffer my . . . displeasure."

His gaze lingered this time on Neville, who gulped.

"After this year, of course, many of you will cease studying with me," Snape went on. "I take only the very best into my NEWT Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye."

His eyes rested on Ron and his lip curled. I blinked, he wasn't targeting me.

"But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell," said Snape softly, "so, whether or not you are intending to attempt NEWT, I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my OWL students.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up at Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Draught of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are too heavy-handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing" On my left, Kayla sat up a little straighter, her expression one of utmost attention. "The ingredients and method - " Snape flicked his wand " - are on the blackboard" they appeared there at that moment " - you will find everything you need - " he flicked his wand again " - in the store cupboard - " the door of the said cupboard sprang open " - you have an hour and a half . . . start."

Surprisingly it turned out to be pretty easy with Lyra's help we made a potion that seemed perfect.

"Well Mister Potter it seems my goddaughter is a good influence on you, much better and good job to you as well Lyra." He said with a nod.

* * *

 **There we go, I hope you liked it and my love for follows, favorites, and reviews has not diminished, because no reviews makes me think you guys don't like it, it's happened before, I discontinue stories that don't get any acknowledgment and delete them later.**


	9. Professor Toad slips up

**Okay, I hope you guys like the chapter I may or may not have put three foreshadowing moments in the whole of the chapter one of which can easily be seen, those that find all three get to choose one pairing and get a scene of their choice place in the near future. Also if you haven't noticed there is a poll for Kayla's pairing, so chek it out if you like.**

 **god of all** _-Great chapter and story so far please continue this story soon._

 **I will thanks**

 **shadowkat87** _-Good chapter has a decisions been made on kayla's pairing just being curious._

 **The poll is mentioned**

 **desireejones99** _-Hmm actual punisment from Several for bigotry. Now to stop the bullies as well, though with Draco seeing the proper way of the world, well that cuts down the bullies by half excellent entertainment_

 **Well his life was ruined by that word.**

 **lchscarter** - _I really like this please continue_

 **I will**

* * *

Professor Toad slips up

* * *

 **Harry's POV**

When we entered the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom they found Professor Umbridge already seated at the teachers desk, wearing the fluffy pink cardigan of the night before and the black velvet bow on top of her head. I was again reminded forcibly of a large fly perched unwisely on top of an even larger toad.

The class was quiet as it entered the room; Professor Umbridge was, as yet, an unknown quantity and nobody knew how strict a disciplinarian she was likely to be.

"Well, good afternoon!" she said, when finally the whole class had sat down.

A few people mumbled 'good afternoon' in reply.

"Tut, tut," said Professor Umbridge. "That won't do, now, will it? I should like you, please, to reply "Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge". One more time, please. Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted back at her.

"There, now," said Professor Umbridge sweetly. "That wasn't too difficult, was it? Wands away and quills out, please."

Many of the class exchanged gloomy looks; the order 'wands away' had never yet been followed by a lesson they had found interesting. Harry shoved his wand back inside his bag and pulled cut quill, ink and parchment. Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once:

 _Defence Against the Dark Arts_

 _A Return to Basic Principles_

"Well now, your teaching in this subject has been rather disrupted and fragmented, hasn't it?" stated Professor Umbridge, turning to face the class with her hands clasped neatly in front of her. The constant changing of teachers, many of whom do not seem to have followed any Ministry-approved curriculum, has unfortunately resulted in your being far below the standard we would expect to see in your OWL year.

"You will be pleased to know, however, that these problems are now to be rectified. We will be following a carefully structured, theory-centered, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic this year. Copy down the following, please."

She rapped the blackboard again; the first message vanished and was replaced by the 'Course Aims'.

 _the principles underlying defensive magic._

 _to recognize situations in which defensive magic can legally b_ _e used_

 _the use of defensive magic in a context for practical use._

For a couple of minutes the room was full of the sound of scratching quills on parchment. When everyone had copied down Professor Umbridge's three course aims she asked, "Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

There was a dull murmur of assent throughout the class.

"I think we'll try that again," said Professor Umbridge. "When I ask you a question, I should like you to reply, "Yes, Professor Umbridge", or "No, Professor Umbridge'. So: has everyone got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?"

"Yes, Professor Umbridge," rang through the room.

'Good,' said Professor Umbridge. I should like you to turn to page five and read "Chapter One, Basics for Beginners". There will be no need to talk.'

Professor Umbridge left the blackboard and settled herself in the chair behind the teacher's desk, observing them all closely with those pouchy toad's eyes. I turned to page five of my copy of Defensive Magical Theory and started to read.

It was desperately dull, quite as bad as listening to Professor Binns. I felt my concentration sliding away from me; I had soon read the same line half a dozen times without taking in more than the first few words. Several silent minutes passed. Next to him, Lyra was smiling as she read as we were told to. I looked right and received a surprise to shake me out of my torpor. Kayla had not even opened her copy of Defensive Magical Theory. She was staring fixedly at Professor Umbridge with her hand in the air.

I could not remember Kayla ever neglecting to read when instructed to, or indeed resisting the temptation to open any book that came under her nose. I looked at her enquiringly, but she merely shook her head slightly to indicate that she was not about to answer questions, and continued to stare at Professor Umbridge, who was looking just as resolutely in another direction.

After several more minutes had passed, however, Harry was not the only one watching Kayla. The chapter they had been instructed to read was so tedious that more and more people were choosing to watch Kayla's mute attempt to catch Professor Umbridge's eye rather than struggle on with 'Basics for Beginners'.

When more than half the class were staring at Kayla rather than at their books, Professor Umbridge seemed to decide that she could ignore the situation no longer.

"Did you want to ask something about the chapter, dear?" she asked Kayla, as though she had only just noticed her.

"Not about the chapter, no," Kayla said pointedly.

"Well, we're reading just now," said Professor Umbridge, showing her small pointed teeth. "If you have other queries we can deal with them at the end of class."

"I've got a query about your course aims," Kayla said.

Professor Umbridge raised her eyebrows.

"And your name is?"

"Kayla Black" Kayla said.

"Well, Miss Black, I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully" said Professor Umbridge in a voice of determined sweetness.

"Well, I don't," She said bluntly. "There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells."

There was a short silence in which many members of the class turned their heads to frown at the three course aims still written on the blackboard.

"Using defensive spells?" Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. "Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Black. You surely aren't expecting to be attacked during class?"

"We're not going to use magic?" Ron exclaimed loudly.

"Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr - ?"

"Weasley," said Ron, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge, smiling still more widely, turned her back on him. Both me and Kayla immediately raised their hands too. Professor Umbridge's pouchy eyes lingered on me for a moment before she addressed Hermione.

"Yes, Miss Black? You wanted to ask something else?"

"Yes," said Hermione. "Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practice defensive spells?'

"Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Black?" asked Professor Umbridge, in her falsely sweet voice.

"No, but - "

"Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the "whole point" of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new program of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way - "

"What use is that?" I said loudly. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be in a - '

"Hand, Mr Potter!" sang Professor Umbridge.

I thrust his fist in the air. Again, Professor Umbridge promptly turned away from him, but now several other people had their hands up, too.

"And your name is?" Professor Umbridge said to Dean.

"Dean Thomas."

"Well, Mr Thomas?"

"Well, it's like Harry said, isn't it?" said Dean. "If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk free."

"I repeat," said Professor Umbridge, smiling in a very irritating fashion at Dean, "do you expect to be attacked during my classes?"

"No, but - "

Professer Umbridge talked over him. "I do not wish to criticise the way things have been run in this school," she said, an unconvincing smile stretching her wide mouth, "but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention," she gave a nasty little laugh, "extremely dangerous half-breeds."

"If you mean Professor Lupin," piped up Dean angrily, "he was the best we ever -"

"Hand, Mr Thomas! As I was saying - you have been introduced to spells that have been complex, inappropriate to your age group and potentially lethal. You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day - "

"No we haven't," Kayla said, "we just - "

"Your hand is not up, Miss Black!"

Kayla put up her hand. Professor Umbridge turned away from her.

"It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you."

"Well, he turned out to be a maniac, didn't he?" said Dean hotly. "Mind you, we still learned loads."

"Your hand is not up, Mr Thomas!" trilled Professor Umbridge. "Now, it is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be more than sufficient to get you through your examination, which, after all, is what school is all about. And your name is?" she added, staring at Parvati, whose hand had just shot up.

"Parvati Patil, and isn't there a practical bit in our Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL? Aren't we supposed to show that we can actually do the counter-curses and things?"

"As long as you have studied the theory hard enough, there is no reason why you should not be able to perform the spells under carefully controlled examination conditions," said Professor Umbridge dismissively.

"Without ever practicing them beforehand?" said Parvati incredulously. "Are you telling us that the first time we'll get to do the spells will be during our exam?"

"I repeat, as long as you have studied the theory hard enough - "

"And what good's theory going to be in the real world?" I said loudly, my fist in the air again.

Professor Umbridge looked up.

"This is school, Mr Potter, not the real world," she said softly.

"So we're not supposed to be prepared for what's waiting for us out there?"

"There is nothing waiting out there, Mr Potter."

"Oh, yeah?" I said. My temper, which seemed to have been bubbling just beneath the surface all day, was reaching boiling point and I felt liek I'd burst into flames if I got any more angry.

"Who do you imagine wants to attack children like yourselves?" inquired Professor Umbridge in a horribly honeyed voice.

"Hmm, let's think . . ." I said in a mock thoughtful voice. "Maybe . . . Lord Voldemort?"

Ron gasped; Lavender Brown uttered a little scream; Neville slipped sideways off his stool. Professor Umbridge, however, did not flinch. She was staring at me with a grimly satisfied expression on her face.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Mr Potter."

The classroom was silent and still. Everyone was staring at either Umbridge or me.

"Now, let me make a few things quite plain."

Professor Umbridge stood up and leaned towards them, her stubby-fingered hands splayed on her desk.

"You have been told that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead - "

"Professor?" Lyra asked

"Yes?" Umbridge asked.

"I will not tolerate this." She said as she stood.

"Tolerate what dear?" She asked.

"Your teaching Professor, as poorly it could be called such, I will not have the name of my ancestor's school be dragged down by someone like you." Lyra said in a tone I just barely recognized. She's only spoken in this tone when her time with Dumbledore was mentioned, a cold, emotionless voice, and when she spoke like this she almost appeared soulless her hair became snow white and her eyes a slate grey color, reminding me of a picture of a direwolf with it's white fur and grey eyes.

"Your Ancestor?" Umbridge asked.

"Salazar Severus Slytherin, one of the four founders, and I will not let you teach such an abomination in this school and I especially won't let you act like my fiancee is insane, one wrong move and I swear I'll have you thrown from this school by those you persecute, this is your only warning Dolores Umbridge, never cross the last of the Slytherin and LeFay bloodlines you'll not like your position then." With that she sat down in her seat and began drawing her hair and eyes changing back to their original color, it was then I noticed she had another book open on her desk the title of which read: _Marauder's Secrets_.

* * *

 **So first of just to put it out there I like what I did with Salazar's name: S. S. S. He's a snake all right his initials now prove it and also Umbridge gets knocked down a few pegs, I especially liked that scene because it shows that Lyra is badass. Anyway as usual, I love reviews and I really like follows and favorites.**


	10. After Effects of Angering a Slytherin

**Straight to review replies:**

 **shadowkat87** _-Good chapter I never did like toad face good to see Lyra take her down a few pegs._

 **Well does anyone like her?**

 **desireejones99 _-_** _Hmm, now that my put a bit of a crimp in the Toad's plans. I am amazed Kayla didn't bring up the standards of instruction in the Hogwarts' charter_

 **Well, you can't think of everything can you**

 **JaiDaw** _-I can't wait to read more! Please post more chapters as soon as you have them completed! :)_

 **I am and I love reviews like this and ones for ideas.**

 **Guest _-_** _More, please! This story is awesome!_

 **Thanks, I love these and idea reviews because they're so fulfilling**

 **god of all** _-Great chapter and story so far please continue this story soon._

 **I am and thank you**

 **Guest** _-_ _(triumphant evil laughter here) nice one for Lyra._

 **I have more moments like that for her and other characters**

 **lchscarter** _-_ _Please keep going I love this story!_

 **I will, I love it as well.**

* * *

After Effects of Angering a Slytherin

* * *

 **Harry's POV**

Mealtimes in the Great Hall that were not a pleasant experience for the next three days. The news about Lyra's speech travelled exceptionally fast even by Hogwarts' standards. I heard whispers all around me as I sat eating between Dean and Kayla. The funny thing was that none of the whisperers seemed to mind him overhearing what they were saying about his fiance. Today was no different.

"She's the descendant of two of the most famous magical families, it's surprising a girl that normally looks like an angel on earth can get that angry." A fourth years said.

"I hear she's been missing class lately." His friend said.

"I hear her fiancee is a descendant of a founder as well." A fifth year informed.

"Harry Potter, a descendant of a founder?" The first asked.

"Yeah, that's not all, the Potter family are in possession of the original Cloak of Invisibility." The fifth year said.

"Is it true?" The second asked.

"I don't know,it hasn't been confirmed but Ron Weasley let slip he saw it and then ran for his life when Potter came around the corner." He said.

After breakfast yet again Lyra was missing from classes and not only her but Snape wasn't there for the class and instead Professor Flitwick would pop in to check on us while we went over our notes.

It was that night when Snape came in with a sleeping Lyra , after moving into Godric Gryffindor's chambers hidden behind a portrait of Arcana Slytherin, Salazar's granddaughter, a corridor away from the Gryffindor common room, Lyra had made sure we told Professor McGonagal where it was and she'd promised to inform us if someone needed us. Snape set her down on her bed and looked at me.

"Well Mister Potter you look relieved." He stated.

"I am she hasn't been to class and didn't come here and it scared me." I said.

"Well she's been sick and I've been taking care of her, I think Argus has grown to like her, first thing he and Peeves agree on." He said with a smirk.

"How she got Peeves to like her I'll never know." I said.

"I still don't understand either." He said in reply.

The next morning Kayla received a copy of the Prophet from Sirius with the warning, watch out for you and your sister, on it a large photograph of Dolores Umbridge, smiling widely and blinking slowly at them from beneath the headline.

 _MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM_

 _DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED_

 _FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR_

"Umbridge - "High Inquisitor"?" Lyra said darkly, her half-eaten apple slipping from her fingers. "What does that mean?"

Kayla read aloud: "In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time," said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. "He is now responding to concerns, voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve of. This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as 30th August, Educational Decree Number Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate 's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts," said Weasley last night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, though her only obstacle is the descendant of Salazar Sletherin, himself, who believes the Ministry's plan is an insult to her family and that of the other founders"

"Good she's been knocked down a peg." I said loudly.

"Wait, there's more," Lyra said.

""-Umbridge immediately requested we find out more about the young descendant to find a way to placate her and we will soon find one. This Educational Decree is the last function that the Ministry has now formalized with the passing of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, which creates the new position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor. This is an exciting new phase in the Minister's plan to get to grips with what some are calling the falling standards at Hogwarts," said Weasley. "The Inquisitor will have powers to inspect her fellow educators and make sure that they are coming up to scratch. Professor Umbridge has been offered this position in addition to her own teaching post and we are delighted to say that she has accepted. The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of students at Hogwarts."

She paused for breath, ""I feel much easier in my mind now that I know Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation," said Mr Lucius Malfoy, 41, speaking from his Wiltshire mansion last night. "Many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years and are glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation."

"Among those eccentric decisions are undoubtedly the controversial staff appointments previously described in this newspaper, which have included the employment of werewolf Remus Lupin, half-giant Rubeus Hagrid and delusional ex-Auror, "Mad-Eye" Moody. Rumours abound, of course, that Albus Dumbledore, once Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, is no longer up to the task of managing the prestigious school of Hogwarts."

"Lyra, what's this?" I asked and we looked on the second page.

"It was yesterday morning that we were given a list of questions asked to Lyra Celeste Black, 16, daughter of deceased Death Eater, Regulus Arcturus Black and Aurora Amethyst Black (nee LeFay), adopted daughter of her uncle Sirius Orion Black through blood ritual, and current Head of the Slytherin and LeFay houses, by her godfather, Severus Tobias Snape." Lyra read confused.

"Question number 1. "What is your opinion of the Ministry's current ideas for Defense Against The Dark Arts classes?" Her reply was, "It is a insult not only to my ancestor and his friends as well as students, teachers, and parents, it's pointless and not to mention we learn very little." Question number 2 "How is Umbridge as a teacher?" Her answer, "Incompetent, she believes herself to be a good teacher but three things stop this, her attitude, her methods, and her inability to answer questions asked and to let her students finish answering her own questions." Question number three "What do you like about Umbridge?" Her retort "Nothing, she is a nightmare, I especially hate her attitude towards half-breeds, she looks down on anything nonhuman when she herself doesn't count as one, she was against Professor Lupin due to his status as a werewolf even though he was competent from what I was told by the other students, in fact he had you take over his classes when the full moon came around, then there is Rubeus Hagrid, from what my fiancee and his friends and even the teachers have told me he's a kind man who does his job well and he even welcomes anyone who wishes to visit him, her stances toward anything nonhuman is repulsive, she herself is more inhuman than even the darkest and most evil creatures and on top of that she's untrustworthy and should stop with that obviously fake sweet tone she uses as it only adds to her repulsiveness" the final question asked brought our attention to a maximum and won many hearts among the writers of this paper "How do you feel about what the Daily Prophet is writing about Harry Potter?" Her reply was this,"I feel bad about it the Prophet is a good paper but at the current time they can barely choose what to write about with the Minister wanting to discredit Harry and Dumbledore, even though I don't particularly like Dumbledore, I don't like that my fiancee being discredited because the Minister fears a man many believed didn't have enough mortality to die and even preventing learning for fear of a nonexistent army, if I'm honest I like Harry, he's kind, gentle, and isn't afraid to tell me the truth, so far I've never felt happier than when I'm around him." Please note all this was ask while she was sick and under a small dose of veritaserum With that we bid you a good day." She finished.

* * *

 **So Professor Snape let his Slytherin side run wild and snuck the truth into the Daily Prophet as well as helped stopped the Ministry.**


	11. Gaining new knowledge

**Review Replies:**

 **thewolf74** _-Wow. I hope that Lyra and Harry and Kayla can take of Umbridge. Please update soon. I want to know what happens next._

god of all _-Great chapter and story so far please continue this story soon._

 **shadowkat87** _-Another her good chapter can't wait to read the next one._

 **Guest** _-And Snape has just provided a brilliant example of the correct use of sneakiness._

 **Sakura Lisel** _-Wait so HOW is the Elder Wand a POTTER family heirloom? In canon, the Potters NEVER had the wand to begin with unlike the Invisibility Cloak. Until the 1900's the wand was in the possession of a German wand maker, who had it stolen from him by a wizard who would become the LAST dark lord before Voldemort, known as Gellert Grindewald, who then lost the wand to Dumbledore when Dumbledore beat him and sent him to prison. So unless that german wand maker had stolen the wand from a Potter who knows how many years ago, how the heck does it officially belong to Harry? Until Dumbledore gets beaten in combat and the wand taken from him afterwards, the wand shouldn't even work for Harry just because Lyra summoned it back for him without defeating Dumbledore. If anything, the wand should work for HER more now since shes the one who took it from its previous owner._

 **Sakura Lisel** _-Wait, i'm confused. Even if the Grangers WERE under the effects of a potion or spell all these years that made them think Hermione was THEIR kid, and it finally wore off for some reason, what about all their stuff? Unless Dumbledore is the one who made it wear off, and the Grangers haven't looked at ANYTHING in the house from 14 years of family pictures with Hermione in them, to entering what used to be Hermiones bedroom which must still have the stuff she owns but doesn't take with her when she leaves for school every year, in the time since it wore off they haven't seen signs of a girl they can't remember having lived in their house? Which should be obvious if they look at family photos and see YEARS worth of pictures of Hermiome in them with the couple. *lol* or has somebody from the magical world come in and done a magical clean sweep of the house and removed ALL signs of Hermione EVER living there even from the family photos?_

 **Okay Sakura just brought up two good questions and I am willing to answer them in full, now as you may or may not know the Potters are one of the only two families descended from the Peverells and while just that would make it also a Gaunt family heirloom as well Cadmus Peverell, the one related to Voldemort, Ignotus Pevrell was the only living member of that generation therefore he gained both their hallows due to their death and lack of proper wills and as a member of the Potter family and the last of the Peverell line besides Voldemort, he has rightful claim to the wand through the Peverell blood, not to mention she would be able to use it like any other but as a blood member of the right family line has more sway than any other person but would she really want to use it? I mean she was tortured using that wand, would you want to use that if you were in her shoes? I wouldn't.**

 **Also if you give someone a potion that is supposed to make someone think a little girl is your kid, the fact it might wear off and mess with your plans means you need a backup plan common sense says that you don't want them to find that kid's stuff so that the kid wouldn't mess up your plan, you'd make a spell to wipe it all away, then the kid is arrested for breaking in and no one will believe him/her if they say their the victims kid so you're eventually out of the way.**

* * *

Gaining new knowledge

* * *

The History of Magic lesson, which was just as dull as the previous Monday was still the same as usual and now the book I'd seen her reading in Umbridges class and now History of Magic was catching my interest, nor had Potions in Snape's dungeon been different when we arrived for double Potions, where our moonstone essays were handed back I'd gotten a E and a smile from the man who would only smile at Lyra and Kayla.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have received if you presented this work in your OWL," said Snape with a smirk, as he swept among them, passing back their homework. "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in the examination."

Snape reached the front of the class and turned on his heel to face them.

"The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see a great deal more effort for this week's essay on the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall have to start handing out detentions to those dunces who get a "D"."

I realized that Kayla was looking sideways to see what grade I had received; I simply asked her to hold it while I find my quill in my bag.

At lunch Kayla got into a talk about grading scales with a first year which was simple.

"So top grade's "O" for "Outstanding"," she was saying, "and then there's "E" - "

"So Lyra what's that book you've been reading?" I asked.

"Follow me." She said getting up and leaving while at the same time Draco stood and left as well, I followed and found them waiting, lyra handed me the book.

"It's the Marauder's handbook Daddy gave it to me since he though Kayla wouldn't want in, I just got to a part Draco and I want to try out, wann join us?" She asked.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked.

"Becoming Animagi, the book says it took him, James and Remus three years of research to figure out how but it is extremely simple." She explained.

"Okay, let's go." I said and we took a short walk to a portrait of a man in emerald robes wearing a silver crown on his head of silver hair.

"Oh, Lady Slytherin, nice to see you again, you know the password correct?" He asked.

"Draco nidum." She said.

He smiled and disappeared, we hurried in and soon found ourselves in a large library with two cauldrons in the middle of the room.

"Okay, it says here visualize in your mind a moment in your past you felt yourself and search around, the rest will be decided by your animgaus form." She informed.

We nodded and I though hard before visualizing where I was most comfortable.

I was on my broom on the Quidditch pitch, it was three months ago when I came and showed Lyra how to fly, I looked around and found that every part of the memory was grey except me.

It was when that realization came that I heard a voice,"Well you seem to be quite young to be becoming an animagus."

I turned to see a man in his 20s with messy black hair and tombstone grey eyes.

"Who're you?" I asked.

"I'm Ignotus Exertus Peverell." He introduced.

"Harry James Potter." I replied reasonably shocked.

"Yes, one of my descendants, I remember my mother saying that I'd find myself surprised by one of my descendants." He informed.

"What do you mean? Your Mother?" I asked.

"Why Death my boy, she's had many names most thought her male, Anubis, Thanatos, Letus, etc. but she is who she is." He said.

"Death?" I asked.

"Harry, have you read the tale of the three brothers?" He asked.

"Yes, Lyra showed it to me." I answered.

"Ah, yes that girl, well Harry, that story didn't come from nothing, I wrote it in fact, no one took it seriously though, but they understood not that there are forces that make up this world, some of the families you think great today are related to beings of great power, my brothers and I were the sons of Death, but that made Antinoch and Cadmus arrogant and when asked for their gift as her children they asked for their end, I on the other hand felt that I was not going to make a mistake and I didn't." He said.

"Wait, you mean like the Blacks, Gryffindor, Slytherin, families like them?" I asked.

"Yes, The Blacks were the children of Darkness, their name showed such, the Gyffindors were the children of Life our opposites and just as courageous as they were kind, the Slytherins the children of Chaos and their attitudes matched, the tricksters they were, Harry,the more popular a magic family the more likely they were a child or descendant of one of these beings, they had power given to them by their blood, but only the best can claim such honor, so Harry show the world, make your mark." He said smiling kindly.

"Wait why are you here?" I asked.

"Among many their blood has sway in their animagus forms, Harry, you are resourceful, willful, brave, loyal, impulsive, modest, and selfless, but among those many things what is normally seen as outside of both life and death but still tied closely to both?" He finished with his question.

"Rebirth." I stated without thinking.

"Got it in one, Harry Potter, I hereby proclaim you a phoenix animagus." he informed and suddenly I was laying against a wall with Lyra and Draco both still in their minds.

 **Draco's POV**

Here in front of me stood a woman with pale blond hair and stormy grey eyes, she gave a smile to me as she answered my question.

"Draco sweetie, I am Ambrosia Malfoy, the first of the Malfoy's it's nice to meet such a cute descendant of mine, too bad it's mostly from your mother, or I could claim it was my own looks passed straight to you." She smiled.

"H-how? I was trying to become an animagus." I said.

"Well Draco, I am here to tell you that as the other two are being told, you three are very interesting children, Magic herself has taken a liking to you and the other two, you, Draco, as a descendant of Darkness and Nature, are loyal, cunning, ambitious, protective, and adaptable, be ready as you now know you are a hellhound animagus." She said smiling and I awakened to Harry staring confused.

 **Lyra's POV**

I smiled at the woman in front of me.

"You are just a good as I am, little Lyre **(A/N: That's what her name means btw.)** , make beautiful music as a descendant of Darkness and Chaos, you are kind, caring, sharp, free spirited, territorial, and cunning, even if you don't realize it, and as my descendant you are powerful as the descendant of me, Morgana LeFay, yo will walk proudly as a Direwolf animagus." She said.

With that I awoke to see a worried Draco and a pacing Harry.

"Uh, you two okay?" I asked.

* * *

 **Soooo, I'm gonna say that this chapter surprised me when I wrote it, I mean I planned for a visitation to happy memories not meeting ancestors. so reviews are appreciated and follows and favorites are always welcome. So tell me if I should keep going with this or not idea, I mean it is different, I don't know any other story that does this, but I don't know.**


	12. Organizations and a explosive temper

**So I guess I'll continue on my current course the animagus forms will be important later on, right now it'll only cause changes in attitude. Also ,this was a quick chapter, last notice, I will be writing a Bleach(an anime for those who don't know) fanfiction along side this and updates will be delayed slightly.**

 **review replies:**

 **god of all** _-Great chapter story so far please continue this story soon_

 **Guest** _-Cool_

* * *

Organizations and an explosive temper

* * *

 **Draco's POV**

As it turned out we'd been there a all night and found ourselves close to trouble if it wasn't for Severus, he'd said we were making potions for him at the time of our classes as extra tutoring allowed by Dumbledore, who only nodded affirmative glaring at Severus when no one was looking Umbridge had growled and my new slightly increased hearing caught her mumbling 'brats getting in my way', but Lyra's own hear was just as good as my own.

"Her classes are absolute rubbish and she's a horrible woman, all she wants is to be a holy terror to half-breeds and get in that fool of a Minister's pants." Lyra growled out.

"Lyra calm down, your direwolf is showing." Harry said.

"Good."

"Well," Kayla said tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today . . ." she shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and then plunged on, "I was thinking that - maybe the time's come when we should just - just do it ourselves."

"Do what ourselves?" said Harry suspiciously, still floating his hand in the essence of Murtlap tentacles.

"Well - learn Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves," said Hermione.

"It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting for us out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year - "

"We can't do much by ourselves," I said in a defeated tone. "I mean, all right, we can go and look jinxes up in the library and try and practise them, I suppose - "

"No, I agree, we've gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books," Kayla said. "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong."

"If you're talking about Lupin . . ." Harry began.

"No, no, I'm not talking about Lupin," Kayla said.

"Who, then?" Harry said, frowning at her.

She heaved a very deep sigh.

"Isn't it obvious?" she said. "I'm talking about you, Harry."

There was a moment's silence. A light night breeze rattled the windowpanes behind me, and the fire guttered.

"About me what?" said Harry.

"I'm talking about you teaching us Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Harry stared at her. Then he turned to me,

I was frowning slightly, apparently thinking. I said, "That's an idea."

"What's an idea?" said Harry.

"You," Lyra said. Teaching us."

"But . . .'

"No buts Harry James Potter, you're a good leader, you're smart, and you are very good at practical spells, if you want to continue this charade, here's some incentive, I'll do something for you." She said.

"You'll do what?" I asked.

"Harry when do you think I look the most beautiful?" She asked.

"When your hair is white as snow, it adds to your beauty." He blurted then began blushing when he realized what he said.

She smiled as her hair turned white as freshly fallen snow,"Simple, agree and I'll keep my hair white."

"Fine." He said.

With that we went to our separate ways and tomorrow we would go on the Hogsmeade visit to meet with those interested.

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright but windy. Alter breakfast they queued up in front of Filch, who matched their names to the long list of students who had permission from their parents or guardian to visit the village. We approached The three broomsticks and Kayla asked for a room where we could talk privately and was directed to the room beside the bathrooms which many didn't go near.

We went inside and waited, soon the door opened and in came the hopeful students.

First came Neville with Dean and Lavender, who were closely followed by Parvati and Padma Patil with (Harry's stomach did a back-flip) Cho and one of her usually-giggling girlfriends, then (on her own and looking so dreamy she might have walked in by accident) Luna Lovegood; then Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff girl with a long plait clown her back whose name Harry did not know; three Ravenclaw boys he was pretty sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner and Terry Boot, Ginny, closely followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose whom Harry recognised vaguely as being a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team my Slytherin friends Blaise Zabini, Tracey Davis, and Daphne Greengrass and, bringing up the rear, Fred and George Weasley with their friend Lee Jordan, all three of whom were carrying large paper bags crammed with Zonko's merchandise.

"Er," Kayla said when they settled, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well - er - hi."

The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry.

"Well . . . erm . . . well, you know why you're here. Erm . . . well, Harry here had the idea - I mean" (Harry had thrown her a sharp look) "I had the idea - that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts - and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us - "(Her voice became suddenly much stronger and more confident) " - because nobody could call that Defence Against the Dark Arts - " ("Hear, hear," said Anthony Goldstein, and Kayla looked heartened) " - Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."

She paused, looked sideways at Harry and went on, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing the real spells - "

"You want to pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL too, though, I bet?" said Michael Corner, who was watching her closely.

"Of course I do," Kayla said at once. "But more than that, I want to be properly trained in defence because . . . because . . .'"she took a great breath and finished, "because Lord Voldemort is back."

The reaction was immediate and predictable. Clio's friend shrieked and slopped Butterbeer down herself; Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch; Padma Patil shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Harry.

"Well . . . that's the plan, anyway," said Hermione. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to -"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it - " Hermione began.

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him,' said the blond boy, nodding at Harry.

"Who are you?" Lyra said , rather rudely.

"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"Look," said Hermione, intervening swiftly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about - "

"It's OK, Kayla,' said Harry.

It had just dawned on me why there were so many people there. I thought Kayla should have seen this coming. Some of these people - maybe even most of them - had turned up in the hopes of hearing Harry's story firsthand.

"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" he repeated, looking Zacharias straight in the face. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you won't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

The whole group seemed to have held its breath while Harry spoke. Harry had the impression that even the barman was listening. He was wiping the same glass with the filthy rag, making it steadily dirtier.

Zacharias said dismissively, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know - "

"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you," Harry said. His temper, always so close to the surface these days, was rising again. He did not take his eyes from Zacharias Smith's aggressive face, "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

But none of them left their seats, not even Zacharias Smith, though he continued to gaze intently at Harry.

"So," said Hermione, her voice very high-pitched again. "So . . . like I was saying . . . if you want to learn some defence, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet and where we're going to - "

"Is it true," interrupted the girl with the long plait down her back, looking at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"

There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.

"Yeah,' said Harry slightly defensively.

"A corporeal Patronus?"

The phrase stirred something in Harry's memory.

"Er - you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" he asked.

The girl smiled.

"She's my auntie," she said. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So - is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Blimey, Harry!" said Lee, looking deeply impressed. "I never knew that!"

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred, grinning at Harry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong," mumbled Harry, and a couple of people laughed.

The veiled witch sitting alone shifted very slightly in her seat.

"And did you kill a Basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" demanded Terry Boot. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year . . ."

"Er - yeah, I did, yeah," said Harry.

Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled; the Creevey brothers exchanged awestruck looks and Lavender Brown said 'Wow!' softly. Harry was feeling slightly hot around the collar now; he was determinedly looking anywhere but at Lyra.

"And in our first year," said Neville to the group at large, "he saved that Philological Stone - "

"Philosopher's, Kayla hissed.

"Yes, that - from You-Know-Who," finished Neville.

Hannah Abbotts eyes were as round as Galleons.

"And that's not to mention," said Cho"all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year - getting past dragons and merpeople and Acromantula and things . . ."

There was a murmur of impressed agreement around the table. Harry's insides were squirming. He was trying to arrange his face so that he did not look too pleased with himself. The fact that Cho had just praised him made it much, much harder for him to say the thing he had sworn to himself he would tell them.

"Look," he said, and everyone fell silent at once, "I . . . I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but . . . I had a lot of help with all that stuff . . ."

"Not with the dragon, you didn't," said Michael Corner at once. "That was a seriously cool bit of flying . . ."

"Yeah, well - " said Harry, feeling it would be churlish to disagree.

"And nobody helped you get rid of those Dementors this summer," said Susan Bones.

"No," said Harry, "no, OK, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is -"

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith.

"Here's an idea," I said loudly, before Harry could speak, "why don't you shut your mouth?"

I was now looking at Zacharias as though I would like nothing better than to hex him. Zacharias flushed.

"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," he said.

"That's not what he said," Lyra snarled making everyone jump, remembering who she was related to.

"Harry is just modest, yes some parts of his adventures were handled by others, but he did the life threatening parts on his own, now I suggest you shut up before I decide that you're a waste of space and hex you or worse."

No one asked what she meant. by 'or worse'.

"Is it true you're descended from one of the founders Harry?" The Ravenclaw team captain asked.

"Yes, I an the head of the Royal house of Gryffindor yes." He said and I nodded smiling.

"Kayla's a descendant of Rowena Ravenclaw on her mother's side" I added and many blinked.

"Right," Kayla said, looking relieved that something had at last been settled. "Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week - "

"Hang on," said Angelina, "we need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice."

"No," said Cho, "nor with ours."

"Nor ours," added Zacharias Smith.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," said Hermione, slightly impatiently, "but you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters - "

"Well said!" barked Ernie Macmillan, who Harry had been expecting to speak long before this. "Personally, I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our OWLs coming up!"

He looked around impressively, as though waiting for people to cry "Surely not!" When nobody spoke, he went on, "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher on us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells - "

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defence Against the Dark Arts," Kayla said, "is that she's got some . . . some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilise us against the Ministry."

Nearly everybody looked stunned at this news; everybody except Luna Lovegood, who piped up, "Well, that makes sense. After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army"

"What?" said Harry, completely thrown by this unexpected piece of information.

"Yes, he's got an army of Heliopaths," said Luna solemnly.

"No, he hasn't," Kayla snapped.

"Yes, he has," said Luna.

"What are Heliopaths?" asked Neville, looking blank.

"They're spirits of fire," said Luna, her protuberant eyes widening so that she looked madder than ever, "great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of - "

"They don't exist, Neville," Kayla said tartly.

"Oh, yes, they do!" said Luna angrily.

"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?" Kayla snapped.

"There are plenty of eye-witness accounts. Just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you - "

"Hem, hem," said Ginny, in such a good imitation of Professor Umbridge that several people looked around in alarm and then laughed. 'Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and have defence lessons?"

"Yes," Kayla said Hermione at once, "yes, we were, you're right, Ginny.'

"Well, once a week sounds cool," said Lee Jordan.

"As long as - " began Angelina.

"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch," Kayla said in a tense voice. "Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet . . ."

This was rather more difficult; the whole group fell silent.

"The Chamber of Secrets." Lyra said suddenly, making everyone turn.

"It's perfect as it is isolated, has many entrances and exits, as well as only two people here can open it." Lyra explained.

"Perfect, we start Tuesday, Slytherin's and Hufflepuffs, you'll meet up with Lyra and Draco Ravenclaws and Gryffindors with me and Harry." Kayla said and we left the meeting.

That Monday a new sign was posted on the notice boards in the common rooms printed in large black letters and there was a highly official-looking seal at the bottom beside a neat and curly signature.

 _BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

 _All student_ organisations, _societies, teams, groups and clubs are_

 _henceforth disbanded._

 _An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined_

 _as a regular meeting of three or more students._

 _Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor_

 _(Professor Umbridge)._

 _No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist_

 _without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

 _Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation,_

 _society, team, group or club that has not been approved by_

 _the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

 _The above is in accordance with Educational Decree_

 _Number Twenty-four._

 _Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

"Harry, Kayla, come on, Draco feel free to watch." Lyra said her eyes beginning to turn blood red as we marched into the Great Hall,

"I WON"T STAND FOR THIS!" Lyra yelled.

"Miss Black, calm down what is it?" Dumbledore asked.

"That's Lady Slytherin to you, Headmaster, I won't stand for these Education Decrees which are nothing but absolute bollocks from a paranoid fool and his toady assistant." Lyra growled.

"How dare you, I am a teacher and you will show proper respect." Umbridge said indignantly.

"I will not show a woman as repulsive as you respect you do not deserve, you don't even deserve notice from any being human or not, except as lunch for a dragon or maybe a Griffin, maybe even a Lethifold or if you prefer I have a Direwolf at my disposal." Lyra said her voice even and flat, her tone showed how much she hated the woman.

"You insolent brat!" She snapped.

"You have no right to speak to me that way, you have no right to threaten me, and you have no right to object to the Educational Decree." She said.

"Actually, we do." Harry said.

"How so mister Potter?" Dumblefdore asked.

"Lord Gryffindor to you, see me, Lyra, and Kayla are descendants of three of the four founders and as such have right to own three fourths of Hogwarts, as such we have all right to eject you from this castle at any moment, we have even more right to eject Dolores Umbridge due to the fact she is disrupting this school and poisoning the minds of potentially great eleven to thirteen-year-olds as well as insulting our families and our ancestors." Harry said with a smirk in my direction.

"Exactly, as of now, Dolores Umbridge you are under probation, as well as you Headmaster, you're in the same boat." Kayla said.

"On what grounds, Miss Black?" He asked.

"Lady Ravenclaw and on the grounds that over the last five years you have: held a item here that could cause danger to students within an area they can reach, were unable to identify the creature in the chamber of Secrets despite your knowledge, and allowed Dementors to patrol the ground, do you not know how Dementors are created Headmaster?" Kayla asked.

"How?" He asked.

"A wizard or wtich upon death can become a ghost but that changes if attacked by a Lethifold, and after attacked, upon death begins to hunger for happy memories of other witches or wizards, as only a member of the Black family can control Lethifolds and only Lethifolds, it was dangerous for you to have dementors here as they are not creatures under human control, not even the Black family can control Dementors, despite what they believe the Ministry has no real hold over them." Kayla informed.

The hall was silent but for the whispering of the three houses who had descendants here.

"Now as classes start soon we bid you a good day." Harry said and began steering Lyra out before she attacked them both.


	13. Quiet days

**Review replies:**

 **Jeramy-Toombs** _-Amazing i cant wait for more!_

 **Well I'll try.**

 **shadowkat87** _-I agree Hermione might not do it but I can see kayla becoming an animagus. I know I'm not the author you are but I have to say it kind of mean to leave her out of the loop there was 4 marauders you kinda got three already y not make her the 4th._

 **I never said she'd be left out.**

 **Guest** _-Keep going_

 **I'm definitely finishing book 1 of this familial series of mine.**

* * *

Quiet days

* * *

 **Draco's POV**

We later trudged down the stone steps to the dungeons for Potions, all four of us, lost in thought, on when we can get Kayla a chance to try for her animagus form, but as we reached the bottom of the steps we were recalled to ourselves by the voice of Pansy Parkinson, who was standing just outside Snape's classroom door, waving around an official-looking piece of parchment and talking much louder than was necessary so that they could hear every word.

"Yeah, Umbridge gave the Slytherin Quidditch team permission to continue playing straightaway, the captain went to ask her first thing this morning. Well, it was pretty much automatic, I mean, she knows Draco's father really well, he's always popping in and out of the Ministry . . . it'll be interesting to see whether Gryffindor are allowed to keep playing, won't it?"

"Don't rise," Kayla whispered imploringly to Harry and I, who were both watching Pansy, faces set and fists clenched. "It's what she wants."

"I mean," said Pansy, raising his voice a little more, his grey eyes glittering malevolently in Harry and Lyra's direction, "if it's a question of influence with the Ministry, I don't think they've got much chance . . . from what Draco's father says, they've been looking for an excuse to sack Arthur Weasley for years . . . and as for Potter . . . Draco's father says it's a matter of time before the Ministry has him carted off to St Mungo's . . . apparently they've got a special ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic."

"Too bad her decree was obsolete as of this morning or that would actually matter, by the ways how's Draco's father, you seem awfully close to a married man not to mention one around twice your age." Lyra said.

"You are so high and mighty, as if your status as Lady Slyhterin means anything, no one would follow you, you and Potter are perfect for each other, crazy liars." She said

"Ha, laughable." With a smile Lyra let out a low hiss and a nearby set of armor with the Slytherin crest grabbed her by the collar of her uniform.

"Keep her there until Professor Snape can sort her out."

The dungeon door soon opened. Snape appeared there. His black eyes swept up to Pansy.

"Miss Parkinson it wouldn't do well to annoy someone who can order the sets of armor around like marionettes." He stated simply as the armor let her go.

Harry, Lyra, Kayla, and I took their usual seats at the back of the class, pulled out parchment, quills and their copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. The class around them was whispering about what Neville had just done, but when Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang, everybody immediately fell silent.

"You will notice," said Snape, in his low, sneering voice, "that we have a guest with us today."

He gestured towards the dim corner of the dungeon and Harry saw Professor Umbridge sitting there, clipboard on her knee. He glanced sideways at Ron and Hermione, his eyebrows raised. Snape and Umbridge, the two teachers he hated most. It was hard to decide which one he wanted to triumph over the other.

"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solution today. You will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson; it correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend - instructions - " he waved his wand again "- on the board. Carry on.'

Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner. Harry was very interested in hearing her question Snape; so interested, that he was becoming careless with his potion again.

"Salamander blood, Harry!" I moaned, grabbing his wrist to prevent him adding the wrong ingredient for the third time, "not pomegranate juice!"

"Right," said Harry vaguely, putting down the bottle and continuing to watch the corner. Umbridge had just got to her feet. 'Ha,' he said softly, as she strode between two lines of desks towards Snape, who was bending over Dean Thomas's cauldron.

"Well, the class seem fairly advanced for their level," she said briskly to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at her.

"Now . . . how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable. Harry, watching him closely, added a few drops to his potion; it hissed menacingly and turned from turquoise to orange.

"You applied first for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.

"Yes," said Snape quietly.

"But you were unsuccessful?"

Snape's lip curled.

"Obviously."

Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.

"I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily.

"Oh, I shall," said Professor Umbridge, with a sweet smile.

"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.

"Oh yes," said Professor Umbridge, "yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' - er - backgrounds."

She turned away, walked over to Pansy Parkinson and began questioning her about the lessons. Snape looked round at Harry and their eyes met for a second. Before Lyra helped Harry finish having already done it herself.

"You and Umbridge have got something in common," Harry told Kayla quietly when we met again in Defence Against the Dark Arts. "She obviously reckons Trelawney's an old fraud, too . . . looks like she's put her on probation."

Umbridge entered the room as he spoke, wearing her black velvet bow and an expression of great smugness.

"Good afternoon, class."

"Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge," they chanted dully.

"Wands away, please."

But there was no answering flurry of movement this time; nobody had bothered to take out their wands.

"Please turn to page thirty-four of Defensive Magical Theory and read the third chapter, entitled "The Case for Non-Offensive Responses to Magical Attack". There will be - "

" - no need to talk," Harry, Kayla and I said together, under their breaths

The next day we were sitting in Charms practising Silenco which ironically we'd been working on last night. Harry pointed his wand at the bullfrog that had been hopping hopefully towards the other side of the table - 'Accio!' - and it zoomed gloomily back into his hand.

Charms was always one of the best lessons in which to enjoy a private chat; there was generally so much movement and activity that the danger of being overheard was very slight. Today, with the room full of croaking bullfrogs and cawing ravens, and with a heavy downpour of rain clattering and pounding against the classroom windows, Harry, Kayla's and my own whispered discussion about Hermione's recent adventure into animagus status.

"I've been suspecting I'd get something similar," Kayla whispered. "I mean, it made sense, your're squashing your frog Harry."

Harry looked down; he was indeed squeezing his bullfrog so tightly its eyes were popping; he replaced it hastily upon the desk.

"I don't under stand yours or Lyra's though Draco," Kayla said.

"When I figure it out I'll tell you." I promised.

* * *

 **So here's just a quiet chapter for you guys and girls, I hope it was okay. Thanks for reading.**


	14. Defense Association

**shadowkat87** _-Oh ok good chapter now I'm curious to who appears to her and what her animal is and I feel stupid and embarrassed by the fact I assumed you'd leave her out and I'm truly sorry for it._

 **It's okay, I do the same thing sometimes, I could have forgotten about Kayla's, so it was nice of you to keep it fresh in my mind.**

 **god of all** - _Great chapter story so far please continue this story soon.._

 **Dude, although I'm okay with this if you're going to post the same thing over and over please add some variety, though thanks for the continued support.**

 **desireejones99** _-_ _Sorry, but unfortunately I got more than a little lost, will try to find the time to read all 13 togethr_

 **It's fine , read it whenever you have time and fell like it.**

 **The Poll is now closed and here is the final scores**

 **1\. Kalya/other: 0%**

 **2\. Kalya/Luna: 90%**

 **3\. Kalya/Ginny 10%**

 **Thanks to those who voted.**

* * *

Defense Association

* * *

 **Lyra's POV**

That night I snuck to the Slyhtherin dorms and greeted the Slytherin's from the meeting as well as several who had decided their parents were morons to trust the Ministry( or Voldemort for the children of Death Eaters). After that we proceeded to pick up the hufflepuffs, once again there were more than at the meeting all seemed dead set on opposing Umbridge.

I led them to a portrait of a man wearing a dusty old hat and drinking wine from a river.

"Slytherin's Princess wishes entrance to his chambers." I said.

"Yes milady welcome." He replied and like the Fat Lady swung inward, I herded them inside and closed the opening behind us. Soon we wer in the chamber with the others waiting.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and - er - " He noticed a raised hand. "What, Kayla?"

"I think we ought to inform them who will be leading them" Kayla said

'Harry's leader,' said Cho at once, looking at Kayla as though she were mad.

"You see, Harry's not the leader alone," Kayla said unperturbed.

"I now introduce you to the newest generation in rulebreaking and fighting the Dark Arts our way, we will be known simply as Mayham." Draco informed

Everybody looked on as I stood,"Now as a memeber of this class, you will be xpect to learn what you're taught and if you slack off I'll set you straight, I have enough pent up agression towards that toad, I imagine her face on any spot and whatever I punch won't be usable until you're three times your age." I threatened.

"Right, the next generation of Marauders is here and we're causing chaos whereever we wish." Harry said smiling confidently. "And - what else do we need Kayla?"

"I also think we ought to have a name,"She said brightly "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Angelina hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.

"I was thinking," Kayla said, frowning at Fred, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings.'

"The Defence Association?" I said. 'The DA for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?'

"Yeah, the DA's good," said Ginny.

"All in favour of the DA?" Kayla said bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority - motion passed!"

She pinned the piece of parchment with all of their signatures on it on to the wall and wrote across the top in large letters:

DEFENSE ASSOCIATION

"Right," said Harry, when she had sat down again, "shall we get practising then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful - "

"Oh, please," said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," said Harry quietly. "It saved my life in June."

Smith opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was very quiet.

"But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave," I said, "And I get to beat the crap out of you and obliviate you."

Smith froze. As did anybody else.

"OK," Harry said, taking a step forward, "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practise.'

Everybody got to their feet at once and divided up. Predictably, Neville was left partnerless.

"You can practise with me," Harry told him. "Right - on the count of three, then - one, two, three - "

The room was suddenly full of shouts of Expelliarmus. Wands flew in all directions; missed spells hit books on shelves and sent them flying into the air. Harry was too quick for Neville, whose wand went spinning out of his hand, hit the ceiling in a shower of sparks and landed with a clatter on top of a bookshelf, from which Harry retrieved it with a Summoning Charm. Glancing around, he thought he had been right to suggest they practise the basics first; there was a lot of shoddy spellwork going on; many people were not succeeding in Disarming their opponents at all, but merely causing them to jump backwards a few paces or wince as their feeble spell whooshed over them.

"Expelliarmus!" said Neville, and Harry, caught unawares, tell his wand fly out of his hand.

"I DID IT!" said Neville gleefully. "I've never done it before - I DID IT!"

"Good one!' said Harry encouragingly, most likely deciding not to point out that in a real duel Neville's opponent was unlikely to be staring in the opposite direction with his wand held loosely at his side. "Listen, Neville, can you take it in turns to practise with Ron and Hermione for a couple of minutes so I can walk around and see how the rest are doing?"

Harry moved off into the middle of the room. Something very odd was happening to Zacharias Smith. Every time he opened his mouth to disarm Anthony Goldstein, his own wand would fly out of his hand, yet Anthony did not seem to be making a sound. Harry did not have to look far to solve the mystery: Fred and George were several feet from Smith and taking it in turns to point their wands at his back.

"Sorry Harry," said George hastily, when Harry caught his eye. "Couldn't resist."

Harry walked around the other pairs, trying to correct those who were doing the spell wrong. Ginny was teamed with Michael Corner; she was doing very well, whereas Michael was either very bad or unwilling to jinx her. Ernie Macmillan was flourishing his wand unnecessarily, giving his partner time to get in under his guard; the Creevey brothers were enthusiastic but erratic and mainly responsible for all the books leaping off the shelves around them; Luna Lovegood was similarly patchy, occasionally sending Justin Finch-Fletchleys wand spinning out of his hand, at other times merely causing his hair to stand on end.

"OK, stop!" Harry shouted. "Stop.' STOP!"

Slytherin's Princess need a whistle, O thought, and immediately spotted one lying on top of the nearest row of books. I grabbed it and blew hard. Everyone lowered their wands.

"That wasn't bad," Harry said sending me a thankful look. "but there's definite room for improvement." Zacharias Smith glared at him. "Let's try again."

He moved off around the room again, stopping here and there to make suggestions. Slowly, the general performance improved.

He: avoided going near Cho and her friend for a while, but after walking twice around every other pair in the room felt he could not ignore them any longer.

"Hey, Harry," Hermione called from the other end of the room, "have you checked the time?"

He looked down at his watch and was shocked to see it was already ten past nine, which meant they needed to get back to their common rooms immediately or risk being caught and punished by Filch for being out of bounds. I blew his whistle; everybody stopped shouting "Expelliarmus" and the last couple of wands clattered to the floor.

I was ahead of them,"Lady Slytherin needs tunnels to the dorms" I said and four tunnels were opened.

"Well, that was pretty good," said Harry, "but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?"

"Sooner!" said Dean Thomas eagerly and many people nodded in agreement.

Angelina, however, said quickly, The Quidditch season's about to start, we need team practices too!'

"Let's say next Wednesday night, then," said Harry, "we can decide on additional meetings then. Come on, we'd better get going."

With that we all left to our common rooms.


End file.
